


Look Me In The Stars

by Renaerys



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Lila Redemption, also surprise lilagami aka my new fave welcome, because nuance in characterization is Cool, chloe continues to rule me mind body and soul and i'm Here For It, either that or the gabenath will, gabe/nath/emilie will be the death of me istg, hello yes i am irresponsible and writing yet another ml fic, seriously i promise there will be a happy ending but i will eviscerate you first, there's more to adrinette than the buildup to a reveal: an essay, we're going to try it and you're going to love it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2019-10-11 15:01:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 120,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17449250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renaerys/pseuds/Renaerys
Summary: A voice said, Look me in the starsAnd tell me truly, men of earth,If all the soul-and-body scarsWere not too much to pay for birth.When Marinette gets akumatized, it sets in motion a chain of events that will push Paris’s heroes and villains over the delicate edge that divides them.





	1. Cracks

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again, dear readers! As of the first posting of this chapter, I have not finished The Merling Queen yet. I’ll be working on that in parallel to this new fic. This idea was initially inspired by the events of Chameleon (S3E01), but consider this AU with some major key deviations from canon:
> 
> 1\. Our main cast is aged up to about 17/18 (19 for Luka). Let’s call them seniors in high school for simplicity’s sake.
> 
> 2\. Carapace and Rena Rouge do not exist in this AU. They never received Miraculous and don’t know about them. Sorry, I really love those two, but you can read the Fallen and the Forgiven if you’d like to see them in action.
> 
> Lastly and just for fun, Utada Hikaru’s latest masterpiece, Face My Fears, served me very well in the creative process. It can fairly be considered this fic’s thematic anthem. Without further delay, grab a box of tissues or three, take your seats on the one-way express train to Angstville, and enjoy the ride!

The only true constant in the universe was that people will always surprise you.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, average high school senior by day, beloved superhero by night, stared open-mouthed as her long-time arch nemesis and rival, Chloe Bourgeois, cast the transfer student, Lila Rossi, the most powerful look of simultaneous boredom and supreme condescension that would have silenced Regina George herself.

“What did you just say to me?” Lila hissed, her green eyes narrowed dangerously and her olive skin flushed as her anger crept up her neck like a stranglehold.

Chloe cocked her head like she’d forgotten Lila was even standing there. The bell had rung for lunch, and most of the class had filed out to make the most of their break. Only a few stragglers stuck around to witness the Clash of the Titans unfolding between the desks. Chloe flipped her blonde bangs and looked around for her purse. 

“I said, you didn’t have dinner with Prince Ali at _Il Cuore_ in Rome the week before school started,” Chloe said. “It’s been closed all summer for renovations and won’t open again until November.”

Lila balled her fists and clenched her jaw as she continued to glare up at Chloe. “For your information, _Il Cuore_ was open especially for the prince and his guests. He’s kind of important, you know.”

Chloe shouldered her purse and pulled out her iPhone. “For _your_ information, my father’s hotel branch in Rome does regular business with the head chef, Matteo Grandi. He’s opening a new restaurant here in Paris. It’s taken weeks, but he finally put a down payment on a cute place in the eighth arrondissement.” She showed Lila a picture on her phone of Andre Bourgeois and another man. “Huh, taken the day you claimed to be at _Il Cuore_ with Prince Ali. I’ll have to ask Matteo how he learned to teleport.”

Caught in a bold-faced lie, Lila could only stare, dumbfounded, at Chloe’s incontrovertible proof. Marinette was equally speechless as she moved to get a look at the picture on Chloe’s phone. But Chloe pocketed the phone and moved past Lila like she couldn’t be bothered by this ridiculous conversation another minute more. 

“Fuck you,” Lila spat.

Chloe didn’t even look back at her. “Take a number.”

Lila stormed out soon after, but not before shooting Marinette and Marc, the only two people still in the classroom, a scathing glare. Marc looked at Marinette, averted his eyes, and scuttled out like he was ashamed to have been so slow at packing his things and having witnessed the bizarre exchange. 

“Marinette?” Tikki whispered when they were alone in the empty classroom and Marinette had not yet moved. “Are you okay?”

Marinette blinked, swallowed, and checked her temperature to make sure she hadn’t hallucinated a fever dream. “I have no idea.”

* * *

 

Later that day, Marinette walked home from school together with her best friend, Alya Césaire. “Chloe and Lila had a fight? When was this?” Alya asked.

“Just after the lunch bell rang,” Marinette said. “It was unbelievable. Chloe just completely shut her down like it was nothing!”

Alya sighed and adjusted her cat-eye glasses. “Well, I guess it was inevitable. Nobody’s truly safe from Chloe’s personal brand of mean.”

“What? No, Lila made up a story, and Chloe called her out on it. It’s what I’ve been saying from the beginning: Lila’s a liar.”

“This again? Girl, come on, you’re seriously saying you’re happy about this?”

It had been like this since last spring when Lila transferred to Dupont. At first, Marinette had been drawn in like the rest of their friends. Lila’s father was a diplomat who had taken Lila to live in half a dozen countries around Europe. She shared stories about her glamorous life and all the places and people she had seen, and her classmates ate it up like candy. Marinette suspected she’d been embellishing, and it was easy enough to ignore Lila until she began pursuing Adrien Agreste, Marinette’s crush. Even then, Alya managed to talk her down from her jealousy; it wasn’t as if Adrien couldn’t decide for himself who he wanted to hang out with. 

But everything changed when, as Ladybug, she caught Lila in the biggest lie of them all. Lila’s stint as the akumatized Volpina had nearly gotten Adrien thrown off the Eiffel Tower, and for that Marinette could never forgive her. Lila continued to lie through her teeth about even the smallest things even after the Volpina incident. She liked the attention, basked in it, and nothing Marinette said or did could stop her. 

The worst part of all, however, was that none of Marinette’s friends, including Alya, seemed to care enough to do anything. 

“I’m happy someone finally put Lila in her place, if that’s what you mean,” Marinette said. “And honestly? I’m surprised you’re not happy about it. You’re the one who’s always going on about finding the truth, landing a good scoop. How many times have I told you about Lila’s lies? That’s a scoop right there!”

“Look, I’m not saying I don’t believe you, or that I don’t care. Obviously, I care that you’re upset. But the last time I dug deep on a classmate, I ended up akumatized and hurt a lot of people. So, you know, I’m sort of not jumping out of my socks to go down that rabbit hole again.”

Marinette felt like pulling her hair out. “But that was different! You just wanted to know more about Ladybug then. This isn’t about being nosy, it’s about exposing Lila for the fraud she is before it’s too late.”

“Whoa, calm down. You’re talking like she’s a ticking time bomb or something.” Alya peered at her. “Why do you hate Lila so much, anyway? What did she ever really do to you personally?”

“I just told you, she’s a _liar_.”

“I guess, but who cares? Just ignore her. People like that don’t change, and they definitely aren’t worth losing sleep over. It’s our senior year, girl! We should be going to concerts and staying out too late and making out with hot people, not worrying about some girl we’ll never see again after graduation.”

Marinette wanted to tell Alya about Volpina, but she couldn’t do that without revealing that she was Ladybug. “It’s the principle of the thing. I can’t stand it when she goes around lying about everything just to make people fall for her.”

“Well, it’s not really working, at least not on me. Why can’t that be enough?”

Because it wasn’t enough. Because Lila had endangered Adrien and others when her lies got out of hand. Because Marinette was secretly Ladybug, Paris’s honored superhero, and it was her _job_ to ensure people like Lila didn’t get away with their bullshit. How could she expect to make Paris a better place if she couldn’t even make her own school a better place? Every day that Lila walked around getting what she wanted through deception and duplicity was another day that Marinette failed at being the hero she so desperately wanted to be. 

“It’s just not enough,” Marinette said.

They rounded the corner and paused at Marinette’s house. There was an awkward pause as they lingered. 

“Well, that’s pretty disappointing,” Alya said. “Why don’t you call me when you’re over it, and we can talk about something else.”

* * *

 

“I just don’t get it,” Marinette said as she lay in her pink bed before dinner. “I hate feeling like this, but I can’t help it.”

“Oh, Marinette, cheer up,” Tikki said as she hovered over her face and looked down on her with her big, compound eyes. “Things will get better. In the meantime, I think Alya’s right. Maybe you should just ignore Lila if you two can’t get along. That way, you won’t have to worry so much about her.”

“But it’s my job to worry about her! What if she gets akumatized again? Or what if one of her lies ends up really hurting someone and _they_ get akumatized? Hawk Moth is watching us, I can feel it. He’s always watching, and he always knows when things are going wrong.”

There hadn’t been an akuma attack in weeks, and Marinette was getting very anxious. Maybe he’d been away for the summer months, like so many others. Whoever he was under the mask, Hawk Moth was as human as she was and probably enjoyed spending time at the beach with family and friends like any other Parisian. But as school started up and people returned to work with no sign of foul play, Marinette could not help but worry. 

“You can’t live your life just waiting for the next bad thing to happen. It’s your senior year! You should be out enjoying yourself like a normal 17-year-old girl, just like Alya said.”

Marinette rubbed her eyes in frustration. “But I’m _not_ normal. I’m Ladybug, and I have a responsibility. Ugh, I’m sorry, Tikki, I’m not trying to be a brat and take it out on you, but Lila just makes me so _mad_.” She turned over in bed and clutched her pillow. “I can’t believe Alya told me to just get over it.”

Tikki floated down and laid a gentle hand on Marinette’s cheek. 

“Chloe gets it, but she’s _Chloe_ ,” Marinette said. “What does that make me? Am I the bad guy here?”

“Of course not.”

“Well, it’s a sad day when Chloe’s bullying makes her more of a hero than me.”

Tikki sighed. “Don’t say it like that. You’re the one who gave Chloe the Bee Miraculous, after all.”

“Only because Malediktator turned Chat and half of Paris into his slaves and I had no other choice. She was the only person who could stand up to him, and I got lucky that the Miraculous actually accepted her. I still can’t believe it…”

“Pollen wouldn’t have accepted Chloe as her Chosen if she wasn’t worthy. And if someone like Chloe can be worthy of a Miraculous, then maybe somebody like Lila could be worthy of a little kindness, don’t you think?”

“You want me to be honest?”

Tikki shook her bulbous head and floated off to the nightstand, where her powder puff bed was made up in an empty chocolate box. “I’m taking a nap. Maybe we can talk about it more later when you’ve had some time to cool off, okay?”

Marinette groaned and rolled over, frustrated all over again. Why did no one get it? Was she really being such a paranoid asshole? Because it sure felt like it when both Alya and Tikki gave her the cold shoulder. 

_No, I’m right. I know I’m right._

Lila was just another kind of bully. She was subtle and cunning, not brazen like Chloe had always been. But she was a bully all the same, and bullies had to be taught a lesson or they would never change. 

If only more people had witnessed Chloe calling Lila out after class today. Maybe then they would believe Marinette. Maybe then Lila would stop lying about everything. But maybe was not today, or tomorrow, or the following week. 

“Ms. Mendeleiev, I’m sorry to be such a bother, but I just have such an awful headache. Would it be all right if I switched places with Nino so I can see the board without straining my eyes?” Lila asked. 

“A student who wants to learn is never a bother. Nino, please move so Lila can sit up front.” Ms. Mendeleiev gestured for Nino to vacate his seat, and Lila slid in next to Adrien.

Nino took the empty seat next to Alya just as Marinette rolled in, late for first period as usual. Before anyone could get a word in edgewise, Ms. Mendeleiev was already directing her to take the empty seat next to Chloe on the other side of the classroom. 

Lila leaned close to Adrien, pretending to be interested in his homework as Marinette passed them. 

“Wow, you really get Physics, huh?” Lila crooned. “I totally bombed number five. Maybe you could explain it to me?”

Adrien, agreeable as always, smiled easily and ran a hand through his perfect, blond hair. “Oh, uh, sure. I can probably go over it with you after class. But you said you had a headache, right? Maybe you should go see the nurse first?”

“After class is perfect! And my headache isn’t that bad. You’re so nice to worry about me.” 

Marinette had to bite her tongue to keep herself from saying something rude, and nearly lost her composure when Lila caught her eye and smiled knowingly. 

“Seats, people!” Ms. Mendeleiev said. “We have a lot of material to cover today. Alix, could you please come to the board and take us through the first problem?”

The class began, and Marinette trudged on lead feet to the empty seat next to Chloe, who was too busy scrolling on her phone to notice Marinette. 

_She’s doing it on purpose!_ Marinette fumed as she stole a furtive glance at Lila sitting a little too close to Adrien. _She doesn't even have a headache._

Marinette wished she could just ignore Lila like Alya advised, but there was something about Lila that got under her skin like needles. No one, not even Chloe, had ever frustrated Marinette more than Lila. She was Ladybug, for crying out lout. She was supposed to be better than this. Seventeen, a revered superhero, and a loving family—she should have been happy with her life and all the possibilities that lay ahead of her. But every time she looked at Lila, all she could focus on were the cracks. 

Chloe kicked Marinette’s foot under their shared table all of a sudden, and Marinette jumped. She shot Chloe a glare, but found that Chloe was not even looking at her. Ms. Mendeleiev, however, was. 

“Marinette? Did you complete the assignment or not?”

Flustered, Marinette shot out of her seat. “T-The assignment! Yes, of course! The one that was assigned! I have it right here!”

She did a few physics problems on the board, grateful for the distraction. Adrien even smiled and gave her a discreet thumbs up when she was dismissed back to her seat. Marinette practically floated back and sank down on her elbows. From her seat, she had a good view of Adrien’s profile and rewarded her hard work with a few moments of unabashed ogling. 

He’d grown half a head taller over the summer, and he filled out his clothes better with a little extra weight. Not that any of this was new information to Marinette, who had seen more of Adrien over the summer than she had most of the previous semester thanks to her internship at Agreste Fashion, his father’s successful fashion house. Gabriel Agreste was a leader and an icon in the fashion world, lauded as one of the most visionary designers of the day. And Marinette had somehow landed a gig working directly for him alongside the professional designers and seamstresses he employed full-time. Despite his cold demeanor, Gabriel had proven himself a capable mentor and boss, albeit a very busy one. As an added bonus, Marinette got to spend time with Adrien and the other models for whom she helped design the fall fashion line. 

“You’re staring,” Chloe said. 

Marinette snapped out of her daydream and found Chloe looking at her, annoyed. “What?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “God, you’re _so_ ridiculous.”

Just like that, Marinette’s fleeting good mood evaporated like dew under the dawn sun. She frowned at Chloe. “What’s your problem?”

Chloe went back to scanning her phone behind the cover of her physics book. “Whatever.”

Marinette watched her a moment. With Sabrina on foreign exchange in London, Chloe effectively had no friends at Dupont except for Adrien, and that was pushing it. Adrien claimed that Chloe was his oldest friend, but over the summer, Marinette had hardly seen Chloe around him at all. Her alter ego, Queen Bee, faithfully showed up for the rare akuma attacks over the summer, but those never lasted long, and Marinette was always relieved when they were over and the heroes had to go their separate ways. 

It struck Marinette that perhaps Chloe was a little bit lonely with Sabrina gone. But if that was the case, then she had a weird way of showing it. Chloe never made any efforts to befriend others, or even to be nice to them. She did her own thing, whatever that was. 

_Whatever the rich and powerful do, I guess._

Sometimes Marinette wondered about Pollen and the Bee Miraculous. Did Chloe talk to Pollen the way Marinette talked to Tikki? Was Pollen even happy with Chloe? 

“Take a picture, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe whispered. 

Marinette flushed. She hadn’t realized she’d been staring at Chloe and abruptly averted her gaze.

* * *

 

The rest of the day passed in much the same manner, with Marinette stewing as Lila fawned over Adrien and bloviated at the rest of their classmates. When Lila had the nerve to brag that Ladybug had saved her life once and they were the best of friends, Marinette lost her temper and stormed out of the common area. Somehow, in her rage, she managed to find her way to the second-floor bathroom and leaned over the sink. 

“Marinette, it’s all right,” Tikki tried to soothe her. “They’re just words. They don’t mean anything unless you let them.”

Marinette pulled at her hair. “They’re not just words when everyone believes them. How am I supposed to just sit there while she says whatever the hell she wants? I’m half tempted to transform and have Ladybug call her out on her lies in front of everybody just to prove a point.”

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea…”

Marinette gritted her teeth and slammed a fist on the stall wall. “And Adrien of all people. Ugh, it’s like he doesn’t even remember the whole Volpina thing! I feel like I’m being gaslighted here at every turn, and I can’t _stand_ it anymore.”

“I know you’re upset, but please try to calm down—” 

The door opened, and Tikki phased into Marinette’s purse instantly. Lila entered the bathroom and discreetly locked the door behind her. 

“What do you want?” Marinette demanded. 

“Who were you talking to just now?” Lila asked. 

“No one. I came here to be alone. Thanks for ruining that, too.”

Lila’s expression fell in a cold glare, and she crossed her arms. “If you want to be alone, then don’t worry, you will be soon enough.”

Marinette advanced and got in Lila’s face. “What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

Lila smiled. “It’s like I don’t even have to do anything. You’re alienating your friends all on your own. Thanks for making it so easy.”

“The only one alienating anyone is _you_ with all your horrible lies. Do you honestly think you can keep this up? I’m not the only one who knows you’re full of it.”

Lila turned to the mirror to examine her perfect reflection. Shiny, chestnut hair hung low past her waist, and no blemish dared mar her pretty face. “What, Chloe? Everyone despises her. You know that as well as anyone. Maybe you two should start a little club.”

It took a colossal effort for Marinette not to grab Lila’s arm and shake some sense into her. “Why are you even doing this? What could you possible have to gain?”

Lila looked up at her. “Nothing. I just want to see the look on your face when you realize you have nothing, and I have everything.” She unlocked the bathroom door and smiled sweetly back at Marinette. “Bye now!”

Tikki reemerged and hovered in front of Marinette. “Marinette! Are you okay? That was awful what she said, I’m so sorry. Marinette? Oh!”

Marinette hadn’t realized she was crying until she felt Tikki’s little hands on her cheeks catching tears. 

“Please don’t cry,” Tikki said, sniffling. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize she would be so cruel to you. Maybe you should talk to the principal, or—”

_Is that true?_ Marinette wondered, hardly hearing Tikki. _Am I alienating all my friends?_

Tikki continued to fuss over her, and Marinette caught her reflection in the mirror. 

_“I just want to see the look on your face when you realize you have nothing, and I have everything.”_

She could picture it now, Lila the center of attention drawing all her friends in like flies caught up in a web. Lila laughing at Nino’s jokes and gushing about Ladybug with Alya. Lila play-acting with Mylène, going to concerts with Juleka and Rose, drawing comics with Nathaniel and Marc. Lila hosting parties. Lila organizing movie nights. Lila planning beach trips.

Lila dating Adrien.

“Marinette, please, I need you to calm down!” Tikki said. 

Marinette rubbed her tears. She felt hot and sticky with incandescent anger at Lila, at herself, at this whole stupid situation. And worst of all, she wondered if Lila wasn’t lying at all. 

_Could I really lose all my friends?_

For a blinding moment of pure agony, that fear sank its teeth into her deep as she imagined what her life would be like if she had no one to share it with. 

“Marinette!” Tikki pleaded with her. 

It wasn’t that hard to imagine. Before Alya had moved here last year, Marinette had been shy and even more awkward than she was now. Would things go back to the way they’d been before? Would they be worse?

Tikki bumped her suddenly. “Marinette, watch out!”

But when Marinette opened her eyes and looked up, it was already too late. Dark wings were upon her, melding with her little pink purse, and everything faded to black. 

* * *

 

Chloe refreshed her messages app for the second time since the class break started, but there was still nothing new from Sabrina since yesterday’s photo taken at some shitty pub with drunk football fans. Chloe wondered if Sabrina was just busy in class, or if she was holed up somewhere on some guy’s couch sleeping off a hangover. 

_Whatever._

“Anything new from Sabrina, Honey Bee?” Pollen asked, poking her head out of Chloe’s Chanel tote. 

Instinctively, Chloe covered Pollen’s fuzzy head with a hand and looked around to make sure no one had noticed a talking bee god hitching a ride in her bag. “No, and what did I say about staying out of sight? Jesus Christ.”

“But I’m so _bored_. C’mon, at least let me explore a little while you’re in your next class? Pretty please?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “You’re being ridiculous. Obviously the answer’s no. You’ll just have to wait until Jean drives us home, like usual.”

Aside from getting her own Instagram account and slowly catching up on the last one hundred years of pop culture, Pollen had changed very little since the day Chloe met her and began their life-long partnership til death do they part, literally. Ladybug could have warned her that Pollen was borderline bipolar with an ego the size of the Arc de Triomphe when she gave Chloe the Bee Miraculous and asked for her help to stop Malediktator, but she’d conveniently left that part out. 

Even so, Chloe and Pollen quickly found a rhythm that worked for them. Chloe had no pets and few friends growing up, but suddenly she was the part-time Chosen partner and full-time babysitter of an eons-old mini god whose greatest wish in life was simply to learn as much as possible about humans and everything they put on the Internet. The only catch was that she couldn’t tell anyone about Pollen, lest she reveal her secret identity as the superhero Queen Bee. 

Which was difficult, considering all the times Chloe had fantasized about confronting her mother as Queen Bee and showing off her very cool, very important superhero status. Surely that would be reason enough for Audrey Bourgeois to stick around Paris a little while longer before jetting off to New York or Sidney or Milan for her next opulent party or high fashion show. 

Tempting, but no. Ladybug had specifically asked her to keep her identity a secret, and Chloe would have sooner endured an entire plate of California rolls (fake crab meat and all) than betray her personal hero’s trust. Of all the people in Paris, Ladybug had picked Chloe to share the mantle of Miraculous with Chat Noir and herself. Even now, Chloe would sometimes wake from sleep and believe it had all been a cruel dream. But there was Pollen every morning, curled up in the flowers Chloe now kept on every table, dresser, and window sill in her bedroom. She was real. Queen Bee was real. And most importantly, Ladybug’s faith in Chloe was real. 

Pollen’s antennae fell. “Y-You think I’m b-b-being ridiculous?”

Chloe hid behind a pillar in the courtyard so she could properly talk to Pollen out of sight of the other students. Carefully, she scooped Pollen out of her bag and held her in front of her face. Those big, compound eyes were shiny with unshed tears. For such a small creature, Pollen was ten kilos of emotion in a five-kilo Beanie Baby bag. 

“What’s ridiculous is you asking me the same question every day when you know the answer’s not going to change,” Chloe said. “What if someone saw you, hm? What then?”

“B-But I’ll be good! I promise!”

“No.”

“Yes!”

“I said, no.”

“Poo!”

“Gesundheit,” said Adrien. 

If Chloe had been wearing socks, she would have jumped right out of them. Pollen phased back into the tote bag faster than the eye could follow, and just in time. Adrien walked around the pillar and leaned against it, smiling softly. 

“Everything okay, Chlo?” he asked. 

“No, you creeper. Where’d you even come from?” Chloe fanned herself and willed her heart to stop racing. That had been way too close…

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I just saw you come over here and, you know…”

Chloe followed his gaze to a small group of their classmates. They were all listening to Lila regale them with a story as she gesticulated emphatically with her hands like a perfect Italian stereotype. Chloe rolled her eyes. “Say no more.” 

Adrien winced. “I hope I’m not that obvious.”

“It wouldn’t kill you to be a little more obvious sometimes, you know.” She smirked. “I could teach you a thing or two if you want.”

Adrien laughed nervously. “Thanks, uh, I’m good.”

She waved him off. “You’re too nice, A. Sometimes I think it’s your worst quality. You’re lucky I’m here to keep the vultures away.”

“Right…” He watched her a moment, pensive. Chloe was instantly suspicious of that look. “Look, Chlo, to tell you the truth, I just wanted to make sure you’re doing okay. Ever since Sabrina left for her exchange program, you’ve been kind of, I don’t know, distant.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Distant?”

“You know, quiet. You’re never quiet.”

Chloe bit her lip. Maybe she was the one being a little too obvious. “I mean, you could come over some time if you’re that worried.” She crossed her arms. “I can’t even remember the last time we hung out just the two of us, now that I think about it.”

He flushed. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry about that. I haven’t had much time to do anything fun with all the modeling, and now school’s started up again, and—”

“Hey, Adrien! Dude, we’re getting André’s, he just rolled up down the block!” Nino said, waving where he was hanging out with Alya, Kim, and Max. 

Adrien looked up. “Oh, really?”

An old but familiar pang of jealousy gnawed at Chloe, but she was so used to ignoring it these days that it was no great feat to tamp it down now to let it fester for later. She slipped a hand in her bag, and Pollen hugged her thumb hard enough to distract her from the worst of it. 

“Chlo, I’m—” Adrien began.

She was already turning away from him. “Go, I have shit to do.”

He took her by the arm and stopped her. “Hey, wait, why don’t you come with us? I remember you loved André’s when we were kids. Lemon merengue and double dark chocolate, right? Your favorite.”

Pollen tightened her grip on Chloe’s thumb and began to vibrate, barely able to contain her excitement at the thought of ice cream and socializing. Adrien was already pulling Chloe after him. 

“A, I’m fine. I don’t want ice cream,” Chloe protested. 

“Okay, but I want to hang out with you. No time like the present, right?”

Chloe was about to pull away again when the floor shook and the wall cracked. The door to thesecond floor women’s bathroom went flying, crashed through the metal railing, and landed in the courtyard. It very narrowly missed a few students playing hacky sack. Students screamed and fled, and teachers burst from their classrooms, drawn by the commotion. 

A figure emerged from the hole where the door to the women’s bathroom had been. Her body was covered in sharp crystal growths that refracted the sun’s light like prisms. When she touched the broken railing, it too turned to crystal. 

“Oh my god!” Alya said, fumbling with her phone to film what was clearly an akumatized victim. “Marinette?!”

“Oh no,” Adrien said, his grip on Chloe’s arm tightening as he instinctively shielded her with his body. “Everybody, get out of here!”

The akuma possessing Marinette turned her cold stare on Adrien. “I am Imprism, and _you_ won’t going anywhere!”

_Shit, shit, shit!_

Chloe yanked free of Adrien’s grip just as Imprism leaped down from the second floor and landed in a crater of crystals. They seemed to grow wherever she made contact. “I have to go—”

“Chlo, get to safety,” Adrien said, already running off toward the other students still gawking and frozen where they stood. “Get away from the akuma, hurry!”

Chloe stared after him and wondered what the hell had possessed sweet, soft-spoken Adrien Agreste to take charge during a crisis like he was an old pro. But she didn’t question his convenient exit and took the opportunity to slip away while Imprism was distracted. Chloe only hoped she could catch up before it was too late for them. 

She ducked into an empty classroom nearby, and Pollen came buzzing out of her bag. “Hurry, Sweetness! Adrien’s in trouble!”

“Yeah, I know, so hurry up and transform me!”

A flash of miraculous, golden light later, Queen Bee leaped out of the open window and took off at a sprint around the block. It was not hard to follow Imprism’s crystalline trail sprouting behind her like mushrooms after a hard rain. She was nearly upon a group of Dupont students when Queen Bee threw her enlarged spinning top, leaped atop it, and tore through the crystal growths with all the force of a bulldozer.

“Whoa!” Queen Bee cut her violent trip short when she saw that she was about to smash through living people imprisoned within the crystal. She fell hard and rolled on the pavement until one such prison broke her fall and quite possibly a few ribs if she hadn’t been wearing her super suit. “Ow, goddamnit…”

Queen Bee looked up at the prism prison that had broken her fall. Nino was trapped within and pounded on the crystal walls when he saw Queen Bee. He shouted something, but it was impossible to hear him through the crystal. 

“Prism prisons. Ugh, I _hate_ puns,” Queen Bee said as she got to her feet and looked for a way to break Nino out. Unless she could crack the crystal, there appeared to be none. “Looks like you’re stuck in there until Ladybug purifies the akuma.”

Nino looked distressed and began shouting and waving his hands around. 

“I can’t hear you, obviously,” Queen Bee said. 

He pointed emphatically behind her, and she realized Nino was trying to warn her. She whirled and took a crystallized punch to the gut from Imprism and went flying. Frantic, she threw her top and snagged the school flagpole to stop her mad trajectory. Whiplash rattled her from head to toe and would no doubt leave her with a massive headache when this was over and done with. Queen Bee landed hard on the ground and recalled her top, her breathing labored. 

“Okay, now I’m pissed off.” 

A sleek, shadowed figure landed gracefully beside her. “Would you say you’re mad as a _hornet_?” 

Queen Bee rolled her eyes. “That one wasn’t even bee-themed, Chat Noir. Don’t quit your day job.”

Chat grinned wolfishly, his green cat eyes glittering with mirth. “Whatever you say, Your Bee-ness.”

Queen Bee let that one slide for now considering the akuma running around crystallizing innocent high school students. Imprism was raising more crystals out of the ground as she hunted her next targets: Rose and Juleka. 

“Look out!” Juleka shouted as she shoved Rose out of the way. 

“Juleka!” Rose screamed when crystals rose up around Juleka and trapped her within. She ran back to try to help, but Imprism was ready with another crystal cage.

Everywhere Queen Bee looked, students and teachers alike were trapped like flies in amber, helpless to break free. She and Chat would have to be very careful not to get trapped, too. 

“If I Cataclysm all the prisms, I could hurt everyone trapped inside,” Chat said, all pretenses of his teasing gone as he grimly surveyed the chaos. “It’s too risky.”

“No shit,” Queen Bee said. “If I can get close enough to Imprism, maybe I could sting her.”

“You think Venom will get through her prism armor?”

“You got a better idea?”

“Not exactly. Ladybug’s the idea lady, not me.”

But Ladybug was nowhere to be seen. She was usually very good about showing up when akumas attacked. Queen Bee gritted her teeth. 

_Where the hell is she?_

“Marinette, snap out of it, girl!” Alya said. She’d taken refuge behind a mailbox.

Imprison turned on her next. “Trying to hide from me? I won’t let you escape! You’ll join the others and stay with me forever!”

Alya was surprisingly agile and darted out of the way just as Imprism raised more crystals from the ground and surrounded the mailbox. Her narrow escape only enraged Imprism further. 

“Get back here!”

“Bee, go,” Chat said. “I’ll distract her!”

“Wait, what?!” Queen Bee said. 

But Chat was already bounding off, staff in hand. Imprism saw him coming and stamped her foot on the ground, summoning more crystals. Chat leaped and smashed his staff against them, shattering them before they could surround him. 

“Hey, can’t we talk about this?” Chat taunted Imprism. 

“There’s nothing left to say!” Imprism bellowed as she punched and fired off projectile crystal shards like bullets. 

Chat was forced to deflect them, and it was all he could do to keep up. Queen Bee wasted no time in taking advantage of the distraction he’d caused and sprinted around them, hoping to sneak up on Imprism undetected.

“Ahh!” screamed Ms. Mendeleiev as she was hit by a stray crystal shard. Bleeding from her shoulder, she fell. 

More bullets flew, cutting through prisms and people alike. Queen Bee spun her top like a shield and deflected the shards that came too close to her. 

“Help!” said Max as he fled, supporting Alix who was bleeding from a wound in her leg where a crystal shard had cut her deep. “Someone, help us!”

_Damnit!_

Queen Bee had no choice but to protect the innocent civilians while Chat continued to duel with Imprism. She landed in front of Max and Alix, her top spinning to shield them. Others in the vicinity flocked to Queen Bee, hoping she would protect them from Imprism.

“Get inside!” she commanded. 

“Q-Queen Bee! Where’s Ladybug?” Max asked, panicked. 

_Good question._ “Just go!”

All the commotion drew Imprism’s attention, and she turned her ferocious glare upon Queen Bee. “ _You_! I’m going to _rip you to pieces_!”

Before Queen Bee could process what the insane akuma was on about, she heard a girl scream. Lila was running for her life as the very ground turned against her and crystals pursued her. Except, these were sharp and thin, meant to impale and kill, not entrap. 

“Oh my god,” Queen Bee said, momentarily paralyzed as the reality of mortal danger scared her to the core. 

“Cataclysm!”

Dark energy erupted from Chat’s claws and tore through the murderous crystals hunting Lila, and not a moment too soon. Lila fell and injured herself just as Chat’s destructive powers shattered the prisms that would have ripped through her like a pin cushion. Imprism screeched and glared her fury at Chat. There were tears in her eyes that crystalized upon her cheeks as she slammed her fists on the ground. The earth beneath Chat’s feet split open, and sheets of crystal rose up around him too fast for him to escape. In seconds, he was surrounded and entrapped, helpless to break free.

Imprism wailed her anguish. “Even you, _Chaton_? You would betray me for her?!”

But Chat couldn’t hear or be heard anymore as he pounded in vain against the walls of his crystalline cage. His staff lay on the ground outside, and his Miraculous ring began its slow countdown to reversion. 

Queen Bee snapped out of her stupor as the sheer desperation of her situation caught up to her. She was alone now against the akuma. Ladybug was nowhere to be found, and Chat was trapped and unable to help. 

Imprism clutched her head like she meant to shatter herself. “Even you… Why? Why _her_?”

_I have to do something_ , Queen Bee thought.

Ladybug had entrusted her with the Bee Miraculous, chosen her to fight alongside her above all others. She couldn’t let her down now when things got a little tough. What would Ladybug do if she were here? 

“Chat,” Queen Bee said, her feet already moving. _There’s no Ladybug without Chat Noir._

She threw her spinning top once more. It grew to the size of a small car and tore through the crystal growths and debris in its path straight for Imprism. Queen Bee didn’t wait to see Imprism get bulldozed and dove for Chat’s staff. He flattened himself against the back of the crystal prison, understanding her intentions, and she swung as hard as she could. 

The crystal cracked with each blow, but it was as tough as stone and withstood her super strength. As Queen Bee wound up for the third blow, Chat opened his mouth in a silent scream, but she was too slow to react in time. 

Imprism yanked her back by the ponytail and threw her hard onto the ground. Queen Bee’s shoulder popped, and her arm flopped uselessly at her side. Pain exploded in the back of her head, and she tasted blood on her tongue. Imprism, her crystalline skin cracked where the spinning top had rammed her mercilessly, nonetheless found the strength to yank Queen Bee up by the neck and dangle her like she weighed nothing. Blue met terrible blue as the two of them glared at each other and Queen Bee struggled to breathe. 

“You ungrateful brat,” Imprism spat. “I put my trust in you— _you_ , of all people. And this is the thanks I get?”

“What’re you even talking about?” Queen Bee wheezed. 

Chat, meanwhile, slammed against the prism wall as hard as he could. The cracks in his prison grew with each blow, but he didn’t have much time before he reverted.

Imprism was too preoccupied with Queen Bee to notice. “To think someone so heinous could be worthy! You’re no hero, you’re a joke!”

That snapped something in Queen Bee, and she bared her teeth. “I’m not the one throwing a temper tantrum over someone as insignificant as Lila Rossi.”

Imprism seemed to unravel at the mention of that name. In a rage, she threw Queen Bee to the ground again. “What do you know?! You don’t know what it’s like to be abandoned by your friends because you don’t even have any!”

Queen Bee stared at Imprism in shock. It was almost as if Imprison were speaking to Chloe Bourgeois, not Queen Bee. 

_But how could she possibly—_

Chat’s prism prison shattered at last, and he came tumbling out. Even exhausted and injured, he tackled Imprism and brought her to her knees. She shrieked and flailed, but Chat didn’t let go even as she smacked him hard in the jaw and drew blood. 

Queen Bee didn’t waste any more time and lunged with her good arm. “Venom!”

Her right hand burst with sinister, golden light needled to a wicked point at her fingertips. Imprism opened her mouth to scream, but Queen Bee slammed her hand against her chest and cut her off. Her ultimate power paralyzed Imprism where she kneeled, her mouth twisted in a silent scream.

“You were saying?” Queen Bee sneered.

Chat slumped on his hands and knees, panting. “Goddamn.”

Arrested by Venom’s paralytic poison, Imprism couldn’t fight back when Queen Bee searched her person for the akumatized object controlling her, which turned out to be Marinette’s pink purse. The black butterfly emerged and flew off, too fast and too high to follow.

“Crap,” Queen Bee said. “Ladybug’s supposed to purify that thing!”

Miraculously, an enormous scarlet shockwave swept over them, millions of glittering ladybugs magically mending what had been broken. 

“My lady?” Chat said, leaping to his feet and looking around. 

But there was no sign of Ladybug anywhere amidst the raw power of her signature magic. Queen Bee watched in awe as it not only knit the ground back together and dissolved the prism prisons, but energized the very air all around. Trees forcibly grew taller, flowers burst and bloomed from cracks in the pavement, and the air grew suddenly warm and humid with the threat of rain on an otherwise clear, summer day. 

“What the…” Queen Bee trailed off, unable to believe her eyes as she watched a rose bush sprout upon a patch of barren earth seemingly out of nothing. She could smell the flowers’ heady fragrance as if they oozed the stuff. 

Marinette, back to her normal self, was still paralyzed on her knees. Queen Bee snapped her fingers and broke the spell, initiating her Miraculous countdown. 

“Oh,” Marinette said, clutching her head. “What…”

Chat was quick to play the gallant knight and helped her sit up. “Hey, it’s okay, Marinette. You’re safe now. It’s over.”

“Safe? What—Chat Noir? What’re you…” She looked up at Queen Bee, and her eyes widened. “And Queen Bee?”

“You were akumatized,” Queen Bee said, watching her carefully. 

If possible, Marinette’s eyes widened even further as panic took hold. “What?! B-But how did—” She slapped a hand over her mouth and teared up. “Oh my god…”

“It’s all right,” Chat tried to soothe her. “Ladybug’s magic fixed everything, see?” He gestured to the burgeoning jungle taking root in the school’s front lawn. “Maybe she went a little overboard this time, though…”

Marinette shot to her feet suddenly. “I-I’m so sorry! I have to go!”

“What? Hey, wait a minute—” Queen Bee said. 

But Marinette was already running off down the street as fast as she could.

Chat’s ring beeped again. He was nearing his limit. “I should to go, too.” He got to his feet and offered Queen Bee a hand up. “Hey, good thinking with your top to distract the akuma back there. There was no way I was getting out of that prism by myself.”

Queen Bee let him pull her up. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

He chuckled and offered his fist. “You know you can just take the compliment, right?”

Queen Bee bravely resisted the urge to roll her eyes and bumped his fist. “What about the akuma? It got away.”

“Nah, I’m sure Ladybug got it. She was around here somewhere, obviously—ah, damn. I really gotta run. Talk later, bye!” 

Chat took off as his Miraculous let out a string of final warning beeps and disappeared on top of a nearby building before Queen Bee could stop him. 

* * *

 

Chloe lay on her bed after dinner and stared blankly at the ceiling. Pollen was busy tending to the orchids that had magically grown to twice their length due to Ladybug’s stupidly powerful purification after today’s akuma battle. All the flowers Chloe kept in her room for Pollen seemed to have flourished, and Chloe was sorely tempted to throw them all away and buy new ones untouched by the strange magic. She even caught a few actual bees intruding to investigate the overgrown flowers.

It was not Ladybug on her mind tonight, but Marinette. 

_“To think someone so heinous could be worthy! You’re no hero, you’re a joke!”_

Chloe’s glare intensified as she recalled Imprism’s cruel taunting. That was all it had been, taunting. Chloe knew a thing or two about how to use her words to cripple the enemy, and that was all the akuma had been doing. So why did it still bother her?

_“You don’t know what it’s like to be abandoned by your friends because you don’t even have any!”_

“So what?” Chloe hissed. _I have Pollen. I don’t need anybody else._

“Honey Bee? Did you say something?” Pollen said, looking up from her work pollinating all the overgrown flowers turning Chloe’s room into the goddamned Amazon rainforest. 

On the nightstand, Chloe’s phone was dark. No new texts from anybody. She turned on her side so her back was to her phone. 

“Do you know what my favorite ice cream is?” she asked softly. 

Pollen flew over, her tiny wings buzzing pleasantly as she hovered by Chloe’s face. “Ice cream? I don’t think so…” She peered at Chloe curiously. “But I bet I’ll love whatever flavor you choose!”

Chloe closed her eyes and pictured a much younger version of herself with Adrien sitting on a sidewalk while their mothers gossiped like school girls. Smiles and sticky fingers, summer and sunshine. 

“Honey Bee?”

“Lemon merengue and double dark chocolate,” Chloe said. “A little sweet, a little sour.”

_“Just like you, Chlo!”_ Adrien’s memory laughed. 

Pollen landed on the pillow next to Chloe and snuggled up close. “All the best things are a little of both. Life’s much more interesting with some variety.”

Chloe sniffled. “You think so?”

“I’m a god and a queen. I know everything, duh!”

With no one around to see, Chloe gave in to the urge to smile. “Thanks, Pollen.”

Pollen smiled and wrapped her little arms around Chloe’s nose. “You’re welcome!”

They remained that way a little while longer as the twilight faded to night and plunged Chloe’s spacious bedroom into velvet darkness. She nearly fell asleep, her head full of flower fragrance and memories of times past. But her mind wandered in that half-waking state between worlds where dreams are close enough to touch. Fleshy rose petals and petrichor, cold crystal as smooth and sharp as broken glass. 

_“Even you,_ Chaton _?”_ Imprism said, her voice smaller than it had been. 

Half asleep, Chloe reached for that word as if it eluded her in a thick fog. Where had she heard that before?

Imprism glared at her, flesh made roughly alabaster under the akuma’s glamour, but her eyes were ever blue and bright—Marinette’s eyes. 

_“I put my trust in you.”_

“I’m putting my trust in you, Chloe,” Ladybug whispered, close enough to believe, the weight of the Miraculous Comb cool in her fingers. “I really need your help.”

Chloe’s eyes flew open, and she looked around for Ladybug. So strange, so vivid—she could have sworn Ladybug had been here in this very room, just like that day last spring when she came looking for help and had nowhere else to turn. Chloe sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, her mind a jumble of half-remembered dreams and memories best left buried. 

“What the hell…” Chloe’s neck ached from lying on it wrong. Pollen was snoozing on the pillow and stirred sluggishly when Chloe scooped her up. 

“Hmm, Sweetness?” Pollen slurred. “I’m so sleepy…”

Chloe looked around her room. It was dark, but not too dark to erase the silhouettes of the flowers, her armoire, the glass doors to her private balcony. “It’s all these ridiculous flowers. Ladybug must’ve been drunk when she released her magic, I swear.”

Pollen giggled. “Ladybug couldn’t do all this. It was Tikki, obviously.”

“Tikki?”

Pollen yawned and stretched out in her palm. “Mmhmm. Ladybug’s kwami, you know. She makes the best blooms…”

Pollen began to curl up to sleep again, but Chloe was wide awake, her mind racing. She began to sweat as a rare anxiety warmed her to the point of discomfort. 

_No._

“No way.”

“Hmm? You say somethin’?” Pollen slurred sleepily. 

“Pollen, transform me.”

“Wha—”

The Miraculous Comb sealed Pollen and her magic, and soon Queen Bee was racing across the rooftops of Paris in the direction of Dupont High School, where a certain _patisserie_ sold the best macaroons this side of the Seine. She landed on a small rooftop balcony adorned with cheap Christmas lights and half-melted candles, a ratty lawn chair left too long under the sun, and a narrow window open to the screen to let in the warm night air. Silent, Queen Bee approached the window hoping to—

_What?_

“What the hell am I even doing here?” she whispered to herself.

This was ridiculous. Completely and utterly ridiculous. She’d been so sure she was on to something when she left her house, but now that she was here on Marinette’s balcony, trespassing on Marinette’s home like a weird stalker, she was not so sure. 

Because there was no way in hell that Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the diffident, annoying, saccharine, passive-aggressive weirdo whom Queen Bee had had the displeasure of knowing since middle school could possibly be—

“Because I don’t deserve it!” Marinette shouted loud enough to hear from the balcony. 

Surprised at the genuine anguish in Marinette’s voice and damnably curious, Queen Bee crept closer to the window on instinct. 

“Oh Marinette, please don’t say that,” said another voice, high-pitched and demure. “I know you’re upset, but this wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it _was_. That’s the whole problem. How could I let this happen? I put everyone in danger.” Marinette hunched over on her pink bed, clutching her face in her hands and shaking. Sobbing.“I’m so weak, Tikki.”

Queen Bee stared, slack-jawed, at the floating, red kwami attempting comfort Marinette. Unbidden, her eyes began to water with tears of her own.

“You’re not weak,” Tikki said. “You’re my Chosen—you’re _Ladybug_. I promise you’ll get through this because you’re strong.”

Tikki’s voice faded as Queen Bee scrambled back from the window. In her panic, she tripped over the lawn chair and fell hard. Fear numbed her to the sting of her fall, and she quickly launched to her feet and fled as fast as she could. 

By the time Marinette and Tikki emerged to investigate the disturbance, Queen Bee was long gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few more notes because we might as well get them out of the way now instead of later. There are a lot of things that have been done a million times in ML fic (e.g., the Adrien and Marinette identity reveal) that I’m going to try to handle a bit differently from what you’re likely used to seeing. The idea being not to bore you with the same old stuff, as delightful as that stuff is.
> 
> Also, I’m featuring some characters that don’t normally get to be protagonists and are often (unfairly) hated and dismissed without a second thought by the fandom at large. Like real people, fictional characters can be deeply flawed and make poor choices, but they are not without their own merits and potential. To quote Adrien in Malediktator, nobody’s useless. In fact, if given a little patience, understanding, and the right support, fictional characters (and all of us real people who inspire their creation) can do extraordinary things. 
> 
> So I’d like to ask you to keep an open mind as you read, and please remember that close POV structure means ***every*** narrator is unreliable, no matter what “side” they are on.
> 
> Please let me know what you think so far in the comments! :)


	2. Fireflies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m delighted by the response this has gotten so far, thank you guys! Your support really means the world to me, be it in the Kudos or Comments, however short or long. I'll be posting the first few chapters pretty quickly to give you a good basis/feel for this story, so please enjoy!

It was well past midnight in Paris, and Hawk Moth could not sleep. It was dark in his solar, but beyond the vaulted windows, the stars and moon shone bright. When he closed his eyes, he imagined those stars with wings, each flickering light drawn ceaselessly to the dreamers below. But one among them had flown far astray into the black, leaving only a trail of shadows in its wake. In the dead of night, shadows were as knowable as smoke and quick to flee. 

Hawk Moth snarled in frustration and dropped his cane sword. He felt the weight of his iron helm heavy upon his broad shoulders, and his violet suit was wrinkled after so long transformed. He rubbed his tired, bloodshot eyes and leaned his weight against the wall. All around him, hundreds of tiny butterflies reflected his exhaustion and glowed a warm chestnut color. 

“Sir, can I get you anything?”

Hawk Moth didn’t look up at his assistant and closest confidante, Nathalie Sancoeur, hovering in the doorway. 

“The akuma would be a start,” he said. 

_Making jokes now, are we? I really have been working too hard._

Nathalie approached, her heels clicking on the tile rhythmically in a way that was almost pleasant in its banality. For a moment, Hawk Moth allowed himself to lull in that sound until she came to a stop directly in front of him. She said nothing as she looked up at him, her dark eyes half-lidded but keen behind her red-rimmed glasses. Nathalie frowned, but not in displeasure. Despite her habitual emotional restraint, her tells were as clear as the stars in the sky for one who knew where to look. 

“I’m fine,” he said, preempting the question he knew she wanted to ask. 

The many butterflies surrounding them fluttered and stirred, their color bleeding from sleepy chestnut to anxious orange. 

“It’s late,” Nathalie said evenly. 

Hawk Moth eyed the butterflies, a kaleidoscope lens into her heart, and she none the wiser. Only he could read their reflections—to her and anyone else, they were merely little white butterflies, innocent and blind. He averted his gaze. She did have a point. 

“Nooroo, revert me.”

Indigo light blazed all around him, recalling the magic. Gabriel Agreste removed his glasses, and Nathalie handed him a cleaning cloth. 

“What is the issue?” Nathalie asked. 

“My thoughts exactly,” Gabriel said. 

They both looked at Nooroo, the shy butterfly kwami fluttering near Gabriel’s shoulder. He hung his bulbous head in shame. 

“I’m not sure,” Nooroo said. “It’s very strange…”

“But something like this happened once before,” Nathalie said. “The very first time you ever akumatized someone, Ladybug didn’t purify the akuma, and it simply multiplied.”

“Yes, which is why I assumed this time would be no different.” Gabriel made no effort to mask his frustration. “And yet, we can’t even locate the akuma with any certainty. It makes no sense.”

Nooroo looked as miserable and Gabriel felt. “I’m sorry, Master. I’m trying to find it, but it keeps fading out of focus, like… Like a blurry picture, or voices underwater.”

Gabriel did not need Nooroo to explain it to him. Hours they had been at it together, scouring the hearts and minds of Paris’s citizens for signs of the tainted akuma’s foul presence. But they found only fleeting traces of it, like poor cell reception, endless static.

“Has this ever happened before?” Nathalie asked. 

Nooroo shook his head. “I don’t think so. The butterflies are a part of me. They represent my power in physical form. I’ve never lost a part of _me_.”

“Maybe Ladybug will find it and purify it. She didn’t show up to fight the akuma today, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t out searching for it now.”

Gabriel did not put as much stock into a teenaged superhero as Nathalie, however. He gazed out the windows to the sleeping city beyond. “We’ll find it.”

Nooroo wrung his tiny hands. “I hope so.”

* * *

 

Marinette was grateful for the three-day holiday weekend that gave her some time away from school and all the people she had terrorized in her akumatized state. No matter how supportive and understanding her parents were, she could not help but feel deeply ashamed by her actions. The attack had not lasted long enough for any news stations to capture footage, but a few short video clips had been uploaded to YouTube and the Ladyblog, as was typical for any akuma attack. All things considered, her akuma had not done any great harm thanks to Chat Noir and Queen Bee’s efforts. It was surreal watching the clips of her akuma attacking and imprisoning her classmates. Like all previously akumatized victims, Marinette remembered nothing of the ordeal. The last thing she remembered was Lila taunting her that she would lose all her friends. 

Marinette certainly felt like she deserved to lose all her friends after the way she had let herself succumb to insecurity and weakness and attack them all. 

Tuesday came all too soon, and she trudged to class as slowly as possible, dreading the moment when she would have to face her classmates and explain herself. What if they despised her? 

“Marinette,” said Alya, who was hanging out near the main entrance like she was waiting for someone. 

Marinette clutched the straps of her backpack self-consciously. “A-Alya, I’m—oof!”

She lost her breath and her train of thought when Alya practically smothered her in a fierce hug. “You’re okay! I was so worried about you!”

“I—what? You were?”

Alya let her go and took her hands. “Why didn’t you return my calls? I must have left, like, twenty voicemails.”

Marinette blinked in confusion. “My phone broke. It was in my purse with…” She averted her gaze. 

Alya squeezed her hands. “Hey, look at me. Marinette?”

Marinette bit her lip and forced herself to look up at Alya, who was smiling softly at her. 

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t. You were akumatized. That means you had no control over your actions.” Alya put her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “It wasn’t your fault, and nobody’s upset with you.”

Tears stung Marinette’s eyes as she lost her tentative grip on her emotions. “Alya…”

Alya pulled her into another hug, and Marinette could have collapsed in her arms. “It’s okay.”

“I’m so sorry,” Marinette sobbed. “For everything, I’m so sorry! I let Lila get to me, and I was so weak. I can’t believe I tried to hurt everybody. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I know, but you don’t have to apologize. I got your back, girl.” Alya pulled away again. “I know what you’re going through, and I know it feels awful. But you’re not alone, okay?”

Marinette choked on a sob and covered her mouth. She had been expecting vitriol at worst, silent resentment at best. But the sincere concern in Alya’s eyes exorcised her worst fears, and she felt foolish for ever having entertained them. How could she have ever let herself believe Lila’s cruel words? They were only words, and their power was paper thin compared to Alya’s promise. 

Marinette could not speak around the knot in her throat, so she nodded and tried to smile through her tears. Alya grinned and wiped her wet cheek. 

“There you are,” Alya said. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

Alya looped her arm through Marinette’s and led her inside. “Come on, everyone’s going to be thrilled to see you back to your lovely self.”

And it was true. The moment Marinette walked into Miss Bustier’s classroom, most of her classmates were on their feet surrounding her, offering words of understanding and condolence. 

“That’s rough, dude,” Nino said. “Being akumatized is the worst!”

“Yeah,” said Ivan, towering over the rest of the gathered seniors. “To be honest, I’m glad I don’t remember what I did. It’s better just to move on and be positive.”

“Damn, big man, that was almost wise,” said Alix. 

“Marinette, please don’t even worry about it!” Rose beamed and took Marinette’s hand. “We’ve all been through it, and I think the best way to deal with it is to spend as much time as possible with all your friends!”

Everywhere she turned, Marinette was overwhelmed by the support and understanding her classmates showered her in. Their energy and optimism was contagious, and she soon found herself smiling as Alya guided her to their regular seats. 

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien said. “How are you?”

Marinette’s heart fluttered at the sight of Adrien’s smile. “Hi, Adrien! Um, I’m good.”

“That’s great. I’m glad you’re okay. I was really worried about you. Did you get my texts?”

Marinette’s fluttering heart hammered in her chest. “Texts?” 

“Yeah, I wanted to make sure you were all right. I thought maybe I could buy you coffee or something to cheer you up after Friday.”

_Goddamnit, why did my phone have to be in my akumatized purse? Who even keeps their phone in their purse?! Never again!_

Alya nudged her under the desk and waggled her eyebrows. 

“I love coffee!” Marinette blurted out. “I would loved to get you—I mean, get coffee! With you!” She slumped over her desk and sighed. “I’m really sorry I didn’t reply to you. My phone broke, so I never got your texts…”

Adrien laughed. “Hey, it’s okay! I figured you were busy with your family or something. The important thing is you’re feeling better. There’s always next time, right?”

Alya not-so-discreetly nudged her again, and Marinette shoved her back. 

“Next time! Yeah, absolutely, next time for sure. Anytime, really!”

Class started, and Marinette all but forgot her earlier anxiety. Had Adrien just tried to ask her out? Like, in real life? And she _missed_ it because her stupid phone was broken?! Unacceptable. Next time she would reply to him so fast, he wouldn’t be able to assume otherwise. 

_Next time._

He’d said there could be a next time! Marinette melted over her desk. 

“Looks like you’re feeling _much_ better,” Alya whispered, grinning wolfishly. 

“A little,” Marinette said dreamily. 

Her good mood didn’t last past fourth period European History, however. Miss Bustier announced a group assignment and her intention to split everyone into teams of her choosing. 

“Alix, Max, and Kim,” she read off the names on her list.

Kim whooped, probably happy that he had the class genius, Max, on his team to score him a high mark on the assignment. 

“Alya, Nino, and Adrien.”

Nino fist-bumped Adrien. “Sweet! We got the best team, bro.”

“Yeah, because _I’m_ on it,” Alya said. 

Adrien just smiled. 

“Chloe, Marinette, and Lila,” Miss Bustier read. 

“What?!” Marinette and Lila blurted out at the same time. 

Miss Bustier shot Marinette a reproving look that cowed her into her seat. “Is there a problem?” She turned her frown on Lila next.

“…No, Miss Bustier,” Lila said calmly.

_I can’t believe this._

“Marinette?” Miss Bustier said. 

Marinette took a deep breath. “No problem, Miss Bustier.”

“Good. I know group work can be challenging for many of you, but it’s very important that you all learn the importance of working in teams. Everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses. Teamwork is the best way to compensate for each of your individual weaknesses and pool your collective strengths. It’s an invaluable skill that will aid you in your adult lives, no matter where you end up.”

Marinette chanced a look at Lila, who was glaring at her clenched fists. Lila felt her gaze and looked up, but Marinette looked away. How was she ever going to work productively with Lila after everything?

Chloe, alone at her desk on the other side of the room, was strangely silent and offered no protest of her own. She didn’t even look back at Marinette or Lila. 

_This is going to be the worst team ever._

During the break after class, Marinette decided she would have to suck it up and at least try to be civil. She was Ladybug, after all. It was her duty to take the high road in times of adversity. And there was no way she was going to get akumatized again. Never again. 

To her surprise, it was Chloe who came to the rescue, sort of.

“It’s a research project,” Chloe said to Marinette and Lila as they lingered by the door to the classroom. “The easiest thing to do is divide up the work and compile everything at the end.”

Lila latched on to that idea eagerly. “Fine with me. The less time spent in your company, the better.” She didn’t even look at Marinette once before stalking off.

Marinette was about to do the same, but Chloe stopped her. 

“Jean picks me up at 3:30 sharp, so don’t be late,” Chloe said. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

Chloe looked at her like she was the greatest disappointment of their generation. “My butler, obviously. It’s not like we can walk to my house from here.”

Chloe left the classroom, and Marinette jogged after her, stunned. “Wait, what? But I thought we just agreed to divide up the work.”

“That was to get Lila out of the way. I have better things to do in my free time than some stupid group project, so let’s just knock out our part as fast as possible and let her deal with compiling everything.”

* * *

 

Marinette had never been driven somewhere by a man wearing white gloves and a tuxedo, and yet lately, the surprises never seemed to stop where Chloe was concerned. Needless to say, it began as the most awkward car ride Marinette had ever taken.

_How did I end up here?_

Tikki in her new black purse was a comfort and made sure to hug her hand the whole ride to Chloe’s family townhouse in St. Germain des Prés. As they drove through the luxurious Sixth Arrondissement, Marinette pressed her face to the window in awe of the exquisite architecture, gardens, and trendy shops that catered to Paris’s wealthy elite. When Jean the butler pulled in to the circular driveway in front of Chloe’s house, Marinette could not help herself. 

“You live _here_?” she blurted out. 

“No, this is some random person’s house we just happened to pull in to,” Chloe said.

Marinette was too busy admiring the architecture to care about Chloe’s snark, and thanked Jean for driving. 

“Come on, my room is upstairs.” 

Inside was even grander. Marinette had been to Adrien’s house before, which was impressive for its sprawling size and modern decor. The Bourgeois residence was just as opulent, but more traditionally French. Marinette was pretty sure that was an original Monet hanging in the living room they passed. Men were doing some renovation work in the kitchen, but they paid the girls no mind.

Chloe’s room was stranger still. Knowing how big of a fan Chloe was of Ladybug, Marinette half expected her room to be full of Ladybug paraphernalia. There was one poster of Ladybug by the door, but the rest of the room was dominated by flowers. A lot of flowers. Their smell was sweet and soothing. In Marinette’s purse, Tikki stirred.

Chloe set her bag down on the dresser next to a vase of white roses, and there she lingered not looking at Marinette. Distantly, the sounds of the men working downstairs reached them.

“So,” Marinette said, feeling awkward again now that they were alone in Chloe’s room. _What am I even doing here?_ “Um, the project…?”

That seemed to snap Chloe out of her thoughts. “Right.” She looked at Marinette, and her gaze lingered a little too long to be casual. Almost as if Chloe had not noticed her there until this moment.

Marinette took a deep breath and reminded herself that being positive was important, especially considering recent events. For whatever reason, Chloe was making some effort to be collaborative, so maybe this wouldn’t be so awful. “I know this isn’t an ideal situation, being partnered up like this, but I appreciate what you did back there with Lila. I don’t really think I’m ready to face her just yet after…” Marinette wrung her hands. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say really poorly is that I’ll do my part and work with you. There’s no reason we can’t try to get along to finish this project.”

Chloe continued to watch her like she was trying to figure something out. Marinette fidgeted and tried to laugh it off to dispel the weird tension in the room. 

“Is there something on my face?” she said. 

Chloe didn’t return her smile. 

“Okay, well… I guess I’ll grab my laptop and we can get started?” Marinette rummaged around her backpack. 

“No,” Chloe said. 

“Oh, did you want to hand write the report? I just thought it would be easier this way so we can email it around—”

“No, not that.”

Marinette felt like a broken record as she wondered yet again what on earth she was doing here with Chloe. “Is something the matter? Did I do something?”

“You were akumatized last week.”

A cold chill crept up on Marinette as she understood what must have been bothering Chloe to make her act so strangely. Why else would she have invited Marinette to her house if not to confront her privately? Marinette hugged herself. 

“I know what you’re going to say.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “You do?”

“Yeah.” Marinette bit her lip, ashamed. “I hurt you, didn’t I? Look, I honestly can’t remember anything I did, but I’m so sorry that I put you and everyone else in danger. I know we don’t really get along, but I swear I would never want to physically hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone. So whatever I did when I was… When I was like that, I’m sorry.”

Chloe opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. A tense silence passed between them. “I was going to say I thought it was weird that Ladybug never showed up.”

“Oh, that. Yeah, I guess she must have been busy?” 

“Ladybug’s never too busy to stop an akuma.”

Marinette swallowed. _What is she trying to do?_

“Well, it’s a good thing Chat Noir and Queen Bee were there to save the day. I’ll have to thank them when I see them again.”

Chloe shook her head. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“That. Be so _Marinette_ one minute, and the next so…”

Marinette wasn’t sure when it had become so hot in this room, but she was feeling it now. Panic boiled beneath her skin, sudden and overwhelming. 

“This is so utterly ridiculous,” Chloe said. 

“Chloe, what’re you—”

“Pollen, you can come out now.”

“Finally! I thought you’d make me stay in your bag all day!”

Pollen flew out of Chloe’s bag with a buzz and hovered next to Chloe. 

Marinette’s panic began to claw through her skin. “Uh, wow, what is that? A talking bee? Weird! I should probably go now—”

“You’re not running away this time,” Chloe said.

“Hey, I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” Marinette hedged. 

Chloe crossed her arms and glared. “Cut the bullshit, Marinette. I know.”

“Know what?”

“Everything.”

Pollen giggled and zipped around Marinette. “Come out, come out! I know you can’t resist my flowers, Tikki.”

No. 

_No way._

“Chloe, you…”

“I know you’re Ladybug,” Chloe said, eerily soft. “There’s no point in hiding it anymore.”

Marinette put a hand over her purse, where Tikki obediently remained hidden. Pollen smiled expectantly, and Chloe watched her with a strange, guarded expression Marinette had never seen before. “I don’t understand. How…?”

“You were akumatized. There’s no way I wouldn’t have figured it out.”

That was it, then. Her secret was out, and there was no going back. Marinette had imagined that one day, she would share her secret identity with Queen Bee and Chat Noir, but not like this. Not so soon. But there was nothing she could do about it now. 

“Tikki, you can come out,” Marinette said softly. 

Tikki phased out of her purse and touched a hand to Marinette’s cheek to comfort her. “Marinette…”

“Tikki!!” Pollen was a yellow bullet when she crashed into Tikki and the two kwami buzzed around the room too fast for the eye to follow. “Ahh, I missed you! But probably not as much as you missed me!”

“Hello, Pollen. Of course I missed you,” Tikki said politely once they slowed to a stop. 

“Look at my flowers! Honey Bee got them all for me. Aren’t they perfect?”

Tikki smiled and drifted to a pot of flowering succulents. “They’re wonderful. You’ve always had a special way with them.”

Pollen vibrated with pride. “Duh.”

Chloe sank down on her bed like she could no longer support her own weight. Marinette struggled with her fight or flight response as she debated what to say—what _could_ she say? Surprise? Bet you didn’t see that one coming? From Chloe’s reaction, just the clear confirmation direct from the horse’s mouth was more than she’d been ready to accept. 

“So,” Marinette said, “this is a little weird…”

Chloe looked up at her. Her fists balled around her red duvet. “Why?”

“I mean, isn’t it weird for you?”

“Not that. Why did you choose me?”

“Oh… Well, you remember how Chat Noir was out of commission, and your father—I mean, Malediktator was one of the strongest akumas we ever faced. I couldn’t beat him alone, and—”

“No, I know why Ladybug chose Queen Bee. I’m asking why _you_ chose _me_.”

Marinette did not understand. “But I just told you I’m Ladybug. That was me.”

“No, it wasn’t. Ladybug is brave and strong. She’s amazing in every way. She’s everything a real hero should be, but you’re…” 

Marinette felt Chloe’s words like a dagger to the heart. They cut deep, more deeply than she expected, because this was Chloe Bourgeois—who cared what she thought? Marinette had spent many years of her adolescent life ruined and upset over what Chloe said, what Chloe did. Every bad word was another stinging blow, death by a thousand cuts, relentless and unyielding. Diffident and insecure and so very, very fragile, every day was a struggle for girls like Marinette to exist in a world owned by girls like Chloe.

Until Ladybug.

In the suit, she was strong. With her yo-yo, she could fly. Behind the mask, she was a hero. Ladybug had saved Marinette. She was still doing it. 

“This was a stupid idea,” Chloe said, getting to her feet. “You should really just leave.”

Marinette was so shocked by the whirlwind of revelations and Chloe’s strange mood swings that she barely put up a fight. “Go? But what about the project?”

“We said we’d divide it up, so whatever.” Chloe slid open her balcony door and stood next to it. She wouldn’t look at Marinette. “Just leave.”

There was no love lost between Marinette and Chloe. They were as different as night and day, and it was a miracle they were able to work well together in costume. But that buffer was gone now, their secrets laid bare, and Marinette had never felt so vulnerable before another person in all her life. An angry, weak part of her wished that person could have been anyone but Chloe. 

But looking at Chloe looking anywhere but at her, Marinette could not ignore the warning bells going off in her head that something here was very, very wrong. The buffer between them was not the only thing that had broken, and Marinette had no idea how to fix it. She wasn’t even sure she knew what it was, only that leaving here now would mean stepping over the broken pieces. She imagined their jagged edges cutting into her bare feet, bloody footprints slick and slippery behind her. 

“Fine,” she said, even though it was not fine at all. “I’ll go.”

“Marinette?” Tikki said, concerned. 

Marinette couldn’t bring herself to look at Tikki. “Tikki, transform me.”

In a burst of scarlet light and a flick of her yo-yo, Ladybug leaped from Chloe’s balcony and disappeared into the Parisian skyline.

* * *

 

Parisian nights were full of light. Lila’s room had a skylight above her bed with a clear view of the stars above, and out the window she could see the city lights like so many floating fireflies on a summer night, each one searching for its perfect match. She frowned.

_How romantic._

But fireflies were insects that cared only about eating, shitting, and finding a mate to mindlessly repeat the process all over again, generation after useless generation. No purpose, no dreams, nothing but insignificant bugs. There was nothing romantic about that. Better to thoughtlessly admire the pretty lights from afar than to catch them in a jar and watch them shrivel and die come morning.

A knock at her door. “Lila, honey? Dinner’s ready,” said Gia, her mother.

Lila could smell her mother’s cooking from her room, but it was even more pungent as she descended the stairs—Bolognese, cooked slowly overnight until the ragout was melt-in-your-mouth tender. Gia in her apron was preparing three plates. An open bottle of Montepulciano was on the table.

“ _Amore, siamo pronti per mangiare!_ ” Gia called to her husband. 

Lila grabbed a tumbler from the cupboard and poured herself a half glass of Montepulciano. “Smells good, Mom.”

“The wine or the _ragú_?” Gia winked at her. She had kind eyes, brown and big and trusting. 

“Both.” Lila savored a sip of her wine, took her plate of Bolognese to the table, and sat down. 

Gia brought a large bowl of arugula salad to the table to be eaten after the pasta, and refilled her own glass of wine. Footsteps came down the stairs. 

“ _Eccomi_ ,” said Stefano, Lila’s father, as he entered the kitchen and helped himself to a taste of the Bolognese with a wooden spoon. “Mm, delicious as always, Gia.”

Stefano was tall and slender, while Gia was short and pear-shaped. Lila shared her father’s smoky green eyes and lithe build, narrow and cut where her mother was kinder around the edges. Stefano had once had a head of luscious, brown hair like Lila’s, but there was more salt than pepper in his hair now. Even so, he was handsome for a man pushing fifty, equally rugged or sophisticated depending on his mood. The mood tonight was sophisticated in a grey Armani suit and polished leather shoes. Lila narrowed her eyes at him. 

“I wish I could stay, but I have a work dinner,” Stefano said, licking his lips and replacing the spoon.

“A work dinner? But you never said a word yesterday when I suggested Bolognese,” Gia said. “Must you go?”

“Afraid so.” He walked around the table and kissed Gia’s head like one might a cute pet.

“Is that a new suit, Dad?” Lila asked as he made his way to her. 

He grinned and did a little twirl. “Your old man cleans up well, doesn’t he?”

Lila smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “A family trait.”

“That’s my girl.” He bent down to kiss her on the head, his littlest pet. 

“I just wish you would let me know about your work dinners before I spend all this time cooking,” Gia said. 

“I’m sorry, darling. I just got the call an hour ago.” He checked his watch. “Ah, I have to run.”

“All right. I’ll save you a plate to heat up when you get back, in case you’re hungry.”

“No it’s fine, I’ll be very late. In fact, I may check into a hotel. You know how it goes with the French—wine at every meal.”

_You would know better than an_ _yone how the French are_ , Lila thought. She sipped her wine to keep from saying something that would embarrass both her parents.

“Oh, all right,” Gia said, visibly upset but trying to hide it. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Stefano grinned and saluted them like he was a hero going off to war. Lila ignored him and focused on her food. 

“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Gia said, pushing her food around like she didn’t know what to do with it. “I suppose it’s just the two of us tonight.”

Lila cast her mother a glance, but Gia was busy fiddling with her wedding ring. She fantasized about yanking that golden band off her mother’s finger and throwing it down the disposal with the rest of the rotten waste. 

“How is it?” Gia asked, noticing Lila’s gaze. 

Lila ate a bite of her food and smiled for her mother. “It’s perfect.”

Gia lit up. “It is, isn’t it?”

Lila forced herself to eat, each delicious bite like ashes in her mouth, until her face ached from pretending to smile.

 


	3. Hollow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien is equally insightful and oblivious, Luka is a perfect stranger, and Kagami is Not Impressed.

Nathalie waited in the car. She kept the engine running, like a getaway driver waiting for her partner in crime to return with their plunder before justice could catch up to them. She checked the mirrors—no sign of anyone coming, by yo-yo or otherwise. 

She had insisted on accompanying him, driving him. Transformed, Hawk Moth was as mobile as any other Miraculous wielder, but he was an eyesore. If Ladybug and her team happened to be out, or if anyone caught sight of him and reported it to the authorities, he might not make it home safely. He might not make it home at all. Better to be cautious. 

Nathalie caught her partial reflection in the rearview mirror. There were dark circles under her eyes concealed by makeup, a hazard of her job working as the personal assistant to Gabriel Agreste in his dual capacities as a fashion mogul and Miraculous Chosen. 

It had not always been this way. It had not always been him, either. His wife, Emilie, had been her original employer before the car accident that claimed her mind and spirit. Nathalie visited her sometimes in the private wing of Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital Gabriel had bought out for her exclusive occupancy. Sometimes Nathalie would talk with her. Little things, pleasant things—Adrien’s progress with the piano, Adrien starting public school, Adrien achieving a higher fencing classification. 

Most of the time, Nathalie said nothing at all. There was not much use is speaking to someone who could neither hear nor respond. She often considered stopping her visits altogether, but she never did. Maybe it was a sense of duty—if Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to see her, then someone ought to. Maybe it was guilt. Nathalie was not Adrien’s mother, and she did not deserve to know these little, pleasant things about him. They didn’t belong to her. They never would.

Maybe it was sympathy. Trapped in a body that could not touch what it craved, could not feel warmth or closeness, doomed to linger on the periphery in silence, Nathalie pitied her. She pitied them both. On her worst days, she thought they made quite a pair.

Movement in the darkness. Nathalie blinked and shook her head, dispelling both sleep and memory. 

_Focus._

Gabriel was trusting her to stay sharp. 

Nathalie pulled the car up to the mouth of the alley Hawk Moth had slipped into. The car’s headlights were low, and clouds blocked the moon tonight. She squinted through the inky darkness, trying to see something, anything. The alley’s stone walls curved deeper into darkness, shrinking, crushing.

_I could have sworn I saw…_

But there was nothing but darkness. No sound beyond the quiet purr of the engine. She sighed and sat back in the driver’s seat. Perhaps she’d been imagining things. Stifling a yawn, she removed her glasses to clean them. 

_Thump._

Nathalie jumped and nearly dropped her glasses. Something had hit the windshield. The darkness was a blurry haze around her. The car’s walls were too close. She fumbled with her glasses. 

_Thump._

The walls of the alley crunching down, gnashing. Closer. 

_Thump-thump-thump!_

Nathalie donned her glasses and scrambled for the brights. White light flooded the alley, opened its walls wide. She hadn’t realized she’d stopped breathing until she gasped at the dozens of butterflies spilling out of the dark maw. They hit the windshield, the mirrors, tumbled to the ground. The headlights drew them in blindly.

She pressed a hand to her chest to calm her breathing. Butterflies meant him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Nathalie clenched her fists around the steering wheel. It did not take her long to make her decision, and once she’d caught her breath, she grabbed her phone and got out of the car. The flashlight app added its light to the headlights, and she stepped carefully around the little white butterflies toward the mouth of the alleyway. 

“Sir?” she called.

Nathalie held her phone ahead of her like a talisman. There was something to be said about the poor judgment she was exercising as a woman alone wandering in a dark alley in the middle of the night. There were villains about at a time like this, and she was easy pickings in her stilettos and black pant suit, unarmed. But Nathalie gave them no thought as she wandered deeper. There was only one villain on her mind, and he would devour any other that dared to set their sights on her. 

Butterflies crawled along the walls, crawled along her. They clung to her halo of light as if to drink it, pearlescent. Lifeless, silent things. Some cultures said butterflies were the spirits of the dead transformed, returned to haunt the living. If she had a softer heart, she may have wondered what that made the one who summoned them to this world. 

“Sir!” Nathalie said when she caught sight of him. 

He was crouched on the ground over a homeless man sleeping on cardboard. The homeless man did not stir as Hawk Moth gently coaxed the akuma crawling along the man’s shoulder onto his gloved palm. He seemed not to have heard her as he closed his long fingers around the blighted butterfly. 

Nathalie approached with caution. The back of the alley smelled musty with urine and soggy fast food. The white butterflies fluttered about Hawk Moth, but none landed on or near him. He clenched his fist tighter around the akuma, and a black, tar-like substance leaked in between his fingers. Nathalie watched, transfixed, as it dissolved into nothing before it could hit the ground. 

“Sir?” She reached for his shoulder. 

Hawk Moth swiftly got to his feet before she could touch him. His lips parted in a smile, and he brought his clenched fist to his heart. Tar stained his violet suit, and then faded away. 

“You found the akuma,” Nathalie said. 

Finally, Hawk Moth turned to her. Icy blue eyes met hers, and she repressed a shiver. Gabriel was a stern man, tall and broad-shouldered, but there was a softness about him, but it was only noticeable to those who waited to let their eyes adjust to the gloom surrounding him. As Hawk Moth, he was entirely cold and imperious in his steel helm and armored suit. Before him, Nathalie felt every bit the lonely woman out past dark in a bad part of town, treading softly so as not to tempt beasts in the shadows. 

But the strange trepidation passed as he recognized her there and lowered his head to acknowledge her. “Nathalie.” He slowly unclenched his fist. Black dust smeared his glove, but it went up in smoke in a matter of seconds, leaving no trace behind. “The akuma is back with me now, yes.”

The tension in her shoulders eased, and she lowered her phone. Butterflies fluttered off her shoulders, disturbed from their perches. “Good. I’m glad you were able to track it down.”

He watched her, unblinking, and Nathalie could not hold his glacial gaze for long. Her eyes fell to the homeless man on the ground still sleeping.

“What about him?”

Hawk Moth continued to watch her. “Just an old man having a bad dream.”

The homeless man was curled up on his cardboard bed in stained clothing. His back was to them as he lay there, still as stone. Nathalie knew she was staring, but she couldn’t look away. 

“Nooroo, Dark Wings fall.”

In a bright flash of indigo light, the butterflies disappeared, and Gabriel moved into her line of sight. Nooroo perched on his shoulder, little butterfly wings folded around himself. 

“Sir—”

“We got what we came for,” Gabriel said. “Let’s go home.”

He brushed past her, and Nathalie had no choice but to follow. She cast a last glance back at the sleeping man. He hadn’t moved a muscle. When she turned away from him to follow Gabriel, it was with a wash of relief as she hurried to catch up. 

_Just a bad dream._

The walls melted behind her into darkness and swallowed the echo of her steps. 

* * *

 

Adrien and Nino stood under the shade of a tree after class waiting for Alya so they could talk about their history group project. Nino lay down on his back and stretched out like a cat. 

“Ahhh, nap time,” he said. 

“I’m pretty sure I saw Principal Damocles’s dog peeing on this tree the other day,” Adrien said. 

“Bro, don’t rain on my parade just ‘cause I thought of lying down first. There’s plenty of room if we snuggle.” Nino waggled his eyebrows. 

Adrien made a face. “Pass. My dad would kill me if I got piss stains on these designer jeans.”

Nino peeked over his sunglasses. “Speaking of the stick up G-Money’s ass—”

“You better stop calling him that before it becomes a habit and you blurt it out in front of him,” Adrien interrupted.

“—no chance he’ll let you throw a sweet rager this weekend, will he?”

“Uh, no, but why are we throwing a rager at all?”

Nino sat up. “Dude, seriously? It’s your eighteenth birthday! It’s only the holiest of days in a man’s life—the day you pop that underage cherry right off the Agreste family tree!”

Adrien cringed. “Jesus, Nino, don’t ever say anything like that again. Ever.”

“Hellooooo! You _gotta_ have a party, obviously!”

“I already told you, there’s no way my dad’ll go for it.”

“Who said it had to be at your place? Oh— _oh_! Hold up! I got an incoming rage-tacular idea just now!”

“Nino, I don’t think—”

Nino got up and waved his hands around. “Dude, whoa, just hear me out, cool? You. Me. All our buddies and buddy-ettes. Barbecue in the park with lots of shitty, cheap wine and all the stars in the sky.” He swept his hand lovingly across the sky. “We’ll say goodbye to summer and give you a proper send-off to Mature Adulthood! Best part: your dad doesn’t even have to know about it, so he can’t say no. What do you think?”

Adrien thought that sounded like it could be either a lot of fun or a lot of trouble. The police and the good citizens of Paris probably wouldn’t take kindly to a bunch of raucous high school seniors drunk barbecuing in a public park and generally disturbing the peace. 

“Oh, hey! We could keep it low-key if you want.”

“Low-key?”

“Yeah! You know, just you ’n me, Alya, and Marinette or something. Double date?” Nino waggled his eyebrows again.

Adrien flushed. “Date? Marinette and I aren’t like that, man. Come on.”

“Uh-huh, sure, sure, cool.”

“I’m serious, Nino. She’s just a friend.”

“A really pretty friend.”

Adrien crossed his arms. “I seriously regret telling you that.”

Nino grinned. “No you don’t. I’m your best friend! I gotta know what’s on your mind. Nothin’ wrong with a little eye candy. ‘Specially since your main squeeze is kinda, like, never gonna happen.”

Adrien flushed harder. “Ladybug’s not my main anything. And you don’t know what could happen.”

Nino looked at him with a mixture of pity and boredom. “Riiiiiight. So anyway, Marinette, who we’ve already established is exactly your type and oh, by the way, _single_ —”

“I said she was pretty, not that she’s my type.”

“Pretty, brunette, compassionate, cares about others,” Nino said, listing traits on his fingers one by one. “Oh, and let’s not forget those _sparkling blue eyes_.”

“Nino!” Adrien tried to smack him, but he missed. 

Nino burst out laughing. “Hey man, your words, not mine!”

Okay, so maybe Adrien had a type. Nothing wrong with that. It didn’t mean he had a thing for Marinette, and it absolutely didn’t mean he had no shot with Ladybug. He was Chat Noir, after all. He was closer to Ladybug than anyone. 

_Except she’s made it pretty clear she only wants to be friends._

Adrien sighed, suddenly feeling weary. Maybe Nino had a point. Ladybug didn’t like him as more than a friend, whether he was in or out of costume, and Adrien would never disrespect her wishes. He would rather treasure what she offered him than lose her for good. And Marinette had never given him any indication that she was interested in more than his friendship, either. They had spent more time together over the summer during her internship working for his father, and while she no longer stuttered or avoided his gaze, their relationship had been purely amicable and professional.

_Maybe my type is just girls who aren’t that in to me,_ he thought miserably.

“Whatever, anyway, I’m not having a birthday party and not inviting Chloe,” Adrien said. 

Nino cringed. “Really? Look, no offense, but like, why’re you even friends with her? You know she’s kind of a jerk to everybody.”

“She’s not a jerk to me.” Well, usually. Chloe had a bad habit of putting herself above others, but she’d been his childhood friend—the reason he had a childhood to look fondly back on at all. And if Adrien was being honest with himself, he hadn’t been spending much time with her lately despite Sabrina being gone. Even if Chloe would never admit it, he knew she missed Sabrina terribly. Without her, Chloe’s only real friend was him. 

“Maybe not, but did you hear what she said to Lila?”

Nino recounted a tale he’d heard from Nathaniel, who’d heard it from Marc, who’d witnessed the whole thing. Chloe had confronted Lila about not knowing some famous Italian chef even though she claimed she did. 

“Look, I’m not defending Lila makin’ shit up,” Nino said. “But humiliating someone in front of people just for fun? That’s not cool, bro.”

Adrien frowned. That sounded a lot like the kind of thing Chloe used to do all the time—still did on occasion. She’d mellowed out a little bit since last semester, stopped picking so many fights with people and instead ignored them more and more. But she had a way of speaking that could make something innocuous sound like an insult. He really should talk to her, find out how she was holding up. People like Chloe operated like they didn’t need anybody, but Adrien knew better. 

“I want Chloe to be there,” Adrien said. “And Lila, too.”

“You’re serious?”

“I know what it’s like to be excluded and all alone while all your friends are out having fun. I don’t want anyone to feel like that, especially not on my birthday.”

Nino put a hand over his heart. “Damn, dude. Right in the feels with that one. Now I feel like the jerk for suggesting it.”

Adrien smiled. “You’re not. I know you meant well.”

Nino wiped a fake tear. “Beauty, brains, and a heart of gold? You cut that out, or I might be next in your long line of admirers!”

“Aw Nino, for you I’d make a special exception.” He blew Nino a kiss. 

Nino grabbed the air kiss and pocketed it. “Ooh, you saucy little minx.”

“I learned from the best.”

“Ha ha, okay, Jailbait, keep it in your pants. You still got a few days left until you’re legal and I can’t protect you anymore. Oh, hey! What about that Japanese chick you’re always talking about? You know, the one who just moved here? Doesn’t she go to some fancy private school?”

“You mean Kagami? Yeah, she’s at Baudelaire Academy, but we go to the same fencing class. What about her?”

“You wanna invite her? I mean, you know, since we’re planning on inviting everybody else you know.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Kagami’s cool, you’d like her. I’ll invite her at our next practice.”

“Who are we inviting?” said Alya as she sidled up to Nino and slipped her hand in his pocket. 

“My boner if you don’t move your hand, woman,” Nino said. 

Alya grinned. “Nino, not in front of our sweet son. Remember his virgin ears!” She did not remove her hand from his pocket. 

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Somehow I get the feeling this will be a thing with you guys even when we’re all forty and married with kids.”

He was ignored as Nino and Alya began making out right there. 

“Okay, I guess I’ll go work on the project by myself…” Where was a garden hose when he needed one?

Alya laughed and pulled away. “Adrien, wait.”

“No, let him go. He refused to snuggle with me, so he’s dead to me,” Nino complained as he hugged Alya. 

“What, here?” Alya said. “Everyone knows Principal Damocles’s dog pees on this tree, like, every morning.”

“Told you,” Adrien said. 

“Aw, _whatever_ , you prudes.” 

Alya suppressed a yawn and extricated herself from Nino. “So you guys ready to work on the project? Sorry I’m late, by the way. I’ve been half asleep all day.”

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Nino asked. “You okay, babe?”

“I’m fine, just the Sapotis keeping me up at night.”

“Oh, your little sisters?” Adrien asked. “Are they okay?”

“Just nightmares. Bad ones, though. They never used to get scared at night since they sleep in the same room, but lately they’ve been waking up a lot. Last night Etta screamed so loud I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” Alya rubbed her temples. 

“Wow, that sucks. I hope they get over it soon.”

Nino shuddered. “I used to get night terrors when I was a little dude. Not cool. But Etta and Ella have each other, so they’ll pull through.”

Alya nudged him. “And their super cool big sis.”

“Their super _gorgeous_ big sis.”

“Okay, break it up, guys. The no making out rule starts now. We have to plan out this report,” Adrien said.

“Jesus, Adrien, that’s probably the most un-French thing you’ve ever said,” Alya said. 

In Adrien’s pocket, Plagg suppressed a cackle.

* * *

 

Chloe had been standing in front of the refrigerator for a good five minutes. She wasn’t even hungry, and she could not remember what had compelled her to hunt for a snack. 

“Psst! Honeycomb!” Pollen not-so-discreetly whispered. “Are you gonna grab something or not? We have to get ready for Adrien’s party!”

Oh, right. That was what she was doing down here: procrastinating.

“I’m not going,” Chloe said.

“But Adrien invited us! He called and everything. Weren’t you saying you missed spending time with him?”

“First of all he invited me, not you. He doesn’t know about you, remember?”

Pollen was affronted. “But I thought you’d bring me with you! You’re gonna leave without me?”

Chloe slammed the refrigerator door shut. “I said, I’m not going to his ridiculous party!”

“Then don’t,” said a voice in the doorway behind her. 

Pollen phased inside the pocket of Chloe’s chunky sweater, and she whirled to find a young man leaning against the door frame to the kitchen. His casual clothes were splotched with drywall dust and smears of paint. Chloe recognized him as one of the contractors working on the renovations, though she’d never spoken to him, or any of them, obviously. Chloe got over her initial shock and narrowed her eyes at him. 

“I’m _sorry_?” she demanded. 

“The party you don’t want to go to. Don’t go if you don’t want to,” he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Chloe was so taken aback at the mere fact that he was speaking to her that she forgot about the party entirely. “Don’t you have, like, something to hammer or whatever?”

“No, but if there are any rogue nails around here giving you trouble, just point me in their direction and I’ll set them straight.”

Was that supposed to be a _joke_? Chloe made a face. “Who do you think you are coming in here talking to me like that?”

“Well, I do sort of work here…”

Was he _smiling_? “Okay, no. Whatever this is?” She gestured in his general direction. “No.”

If anything, he looked more amused. “Like I said, I work here, so I can’t really help…whatever this is.” He indicated himself.

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“ _That_.” She gestured at him again. 

He looked both ways, playing the innocent, and pointed at himself. “This?”

…Fuck this guy.

“This has a name,” he said, approaching. He held out his hand, also splotched with paint and dirty under his black-painted fingernails. “Luka.”

Chloe, obviously, did not take his dirty hand. He pocketed his hands and seemed unbothered by her lack of reciprocation. 

“Chloe, right?” he asked. “I’ve seen you around here.”

“I _live_ here,” she deadpanned. 

He smiled again, and his dark eyes seemed to smile with him this time. “Yeah, I gathered that. So, what’d this guy do to you that was bad enough to keep you from going to his party?”

Chloe’s mind went blank for a moment. “What?”

He looked at her expectantly. “You mentioned you didn’t want to go to ‘his’ party.” When Luka spoke, he spoke slowly, deliberately, as if he considered each one carefully. “Is everything all right?”

Chloe got the feeling that he was asking her something without really asking it. Unbidden, she thought of Marinette transforming in her bedroom just the other day and leaving as Ladybug. She’d be there at Adrien’s party, no doubt. Chloe clenched her fists. “Everything’s fine.”

Luka watched her a moment, and she watched him. His bangs were dyed teal at the tips and a little long. They fell into his eyes. He needed a haircut. 

“Okay.” He shrugged and turned to leave. 

Before she could stop herself, Chloe blurted out, “That’s it?”

Luka cast her a sidelong glance. “I guess?”

Which, fine. 

Except, it wasn’t fine. He’d started something in coming to bother her, and she wasn’t about to let him get away with it scot-free.

“What’s your problem?”

“What’s my problem?” He asked it like he expected her to answer for him.

“Are you trying to piss me off or something?”

“No, I’m trying to figure out what my problem is. Any suggestions?”

First of all, if someone had told Chloe she would get into an argument in her deconstructed kitchen with a guy who looked like he’d never grown out of his middle school scene kid phase, she would have had them fired from whatever shitty job had them coming within one hundred meters of her. 

Second of all, what the fuck.

“Did you leave two of your three brain cells at home today?” Chloe said.

He made a show of checking the pockets of his cargo pants. “Damn, I knew I forgot to pack something on my way to work today.”

Chloe marched right up to him and got in his face. “What’s _wrong with you_?!”

Luka craned his neck to look down at her. Chloe had not realized how in his face she’d gotten until she realized she could smell the peppermint on his breath. He watched her, thoughtful. 

“A few things,” he said softly, gently, submissively. “What’s wrong with you?”

Chloe was so taken aback at the raw sincerity in his admission that she momentarily lost the ability to form words. It was in his casual slump that left him open as if to attack should she strike him, in his half-lidded gaze that held her accountable, in that whispered question she’d been asking herself over and over and over since she found out her hero was just some mediocre girl who couldn’t name a single redeeming quality in her. 

And it was all wrong, and so stupid, and so goddamned clichéd that now, in the presence of an unassuming stranger after hours and days of dead-eyed stares and laconic self-pity that Chloe Bourgeois, isolated teenager by day and consolation superhero by night, finally broke down.

She heaved her first sob, clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle it and her bursting embarrassment, and failed miserably. Luka’s kind face twisted in concern, and then blurred behind her tears. Chloe nearly choked trying to swallow the sob, play it off like she’d only coughed, but it was far too late and far too powerful. Her whole body trembled as another sob racked her body, sapped the last of her resistance, and she slipped. 

But she did not fall. 

“Hey,” Luka whispered against her hair. “You’re okay.”

His arms held her close, and he wasn’t a big guy, but he was bigger than her and his arms were a castle moat surrounding her completely, so that no part of her was left unguarded. Chloe dug her fingers into his paint-stained T-shirt that smelled like him—like paint and peppermint and sweat and her tears—and shuddered against his shoulder in shame. 

His arms around her waist and shoulders held her up and close, arms she didn’t know and didn’t care at all to know. But it had been so long since anyone had held Chloe like this, like they felt her breathing and alive and taking up space and that was entirely okay. 

“You’re okay,” he said. “I got you.”

Chloe had never had an out of body experience, but she thought it must feel something like this. Unable to pull away, unable to stop crying, unable to do anything but exist in the space a perfect stranger had carved out for her, she could do nothing but ride it out like it was happening to someone else. She had never felt more afraid in all her life. 

He began to hum. His voice was a low rumble deep in his chest from the place real laughter comes from. It thrummed upon her skin until she felt his voice in her fingertips, warm and sad as he rocked them just a little, just enough to calm the voracious desperation that had become too strong to bottle up a moment more. Chloe sniffled. Maybe rock bottom could not be quite so bad if it came with strong arms and a sad song just for her. 

Luka sensed that she was composing herself and slowly pulled away to give her some room to breathe. He was quiet, and he didn’t touch her any more than was absolutely necessary to reassure her that he was still there should she feel like she might falter again. Chloe wiped her eyes, hoping she didn’t look like a zombified raccoon, and looked up at him. He was watching her, and it took her a moment to realize he would not speak before her. Something in her wrenched. 

“I feel hollow,” she said in a paper-thin voice. “Like…there’s nothing solid…in me. Nothing worthwhile, worth anything.”

In her pocket, she felt Pollen squirm with the urge to burst out and scream that it wasn’t true, it would never be true because she was Chosen and a hero and that meant something, even to Ladybug. Especially to Ladybug. But Ladybug had never seemed more powerless than the moment Marinette took her place and gave her the solid shape and form lacking in Chloe’s gossamer daydreams. 

Luka rested a hand on her arm and squeezed gently. “How could you be hollow when I can feel you right here?”

Chloe bit her trembling lip and nodded. For once, she could not bear to have the last word.

* * *

 

Adrien’s party was not so much a party as a group of teenagers being responsibly irresponsible as they consumed alcohol in copious amounts, played music, and lit fires under the pretense of ‘cooking’. Lila was not sure what to expect when she arrived at the park a little after seven, but it was not Adrien himself greeting her with a smile. 

“Hey Lila, thanks for coming.”

She peered up at him. Of all the people in their class, Adrien was simultaneously the easiest and the hardest to read. He smiled with the confidence of one practiced in the art, but there was a gloomy sadness that clung to him beneath his sunny disposition that reminded her of Peter Pan. He was a lonely boy who dared to fly but dreamed of feeling something that wasn’t born of fantasy. Lila had recognized it the moment she’d first met him and seized upon it, curious to glimpse the true heart of him so she would not have to worry about her own. Birds of a feather, as they said.

Lila smiled sweetly back. “Thanks for inviting me.” She held out the small present she’d brought for him. “Happy birthday.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to get me anything,” he said, accepting the gift as if he were embarrassed about it. 

Lila held her smile. There was no one more beautiful and painful to watch than Adrien.“Sure I did. I hope you like it.”

Others had already arrived and manned the barbecues, handed out drinks, or began dancing to the music Nino was playing on his iPod speakers. The sun was low on the horizon and cast the world in a liminal orange light that seemed brighter than it was. It smelled of meat and wine, and all around her, people laughed in celebration.

Kim spotted Lila and waved her over with the promise of a drink, so Lila smiled brightly and joined him and the other lost boys gathered in Adrien’s name. The first stars began to peek out as the sun began to set, and Lila spotted Marinette across the way. They locked gazes briefly, but Lila soon looked away.

_“You! I’m going to rip you to pieces!”_

She crossed her arms to repress the shiver up her spine at the memory of Marinette’s akuma out for blood. 

“Lila?” Kim asked, looking expectant. “What do you think?”

“Huh?” Everyone was watching her like they were waiting for something. Lila smiled disarmingly. “Sorry, what was the question?”

“I was just sayin’ we need a third for our team for Flip Cup. You in?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to drag you down or anything.”

Predictably, Kim would not take no for an answer. “No way! You’d be great! C’mon, I’ll teach you how to play, it’s a no brainer.”

_Then it’s perfect for you,_ Lila thought. 

But she let Kim mansplain the art of drinking from a cup and then flipping it over to satisfy him, and he adored her for it. He adored her even more when their team easily won the first round.

* * *

 

Marinette caught sight of Lila surrounded by some of their classmates and felt her mood sour. No doubt she was spinning some spurious tale to get attention, as usual. Ever since Marinette’s akumatization, she and Lila had not crossed paths. She got the sense that Lila was avoiding her, which was fine with Marinette. The less of Lila she had to see, the better. Maybe she even felt badly about the awful things she’d said that had triggered Marinette’s akumatization in the first place, but something told Marinette that was hoping for too much. 

“Noooo!” Alix cried as her team lost another game of Flip Cup. “This can’t be happening! Nino, you’re the _worst_ at this game!”

“Dude, how can anybody be the worst at literally flipping over a cup?” Nino said. 

“I don’t know, man, look in the mirror!”

“Uh-oh,” said Alya, setting her drink aside on the picnic table she and Marinette were sitting at. “I better go defend Nino’s honor. You coming?”

Marinette’s gaze lingered on Lila, who was smiling and laughing along with the rest of their friends. “No, you go ahead.”

Alya frowned, but she chose not to argue. “Okay, but you know parties are more fun with you at them, right?”

Marinette smiled. “Thanks. Go on, I’ll be fine. I’ll join you in a bit.”

Alya left, and Marinette was alone at the picnic table. She bit her lip, wondering what to do.

“Psst! Everything okay, Marinette?” Tikki whispered from her purse. 

“Fine, just taking a breather,” Marinette said. 

Tikki’s antennae fell. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yeah, peachy! Really, don’t worry about me. I’m just going to stretch my legs a bit.”

She got up to do just that. It was getting dark, and the stars were growing brighter by the minute. It was a lovely night to be outdoors, and Marinette almost regretted being here when she could have been flying over the rooftops as Ladybug, the wind in her hair and the city at her feet. 

But she hadn’t been Ladybug since the night she’d left Chloe’s house, afraid to look back. 

It had been days, and she hadn’t talked to Chloe since. Before, that may have been fine. Welcome, even. But the way things had ended between them so abruptly with all their secrets in the open left Marinette extremely uneasy. She walked on eggshells in class whenever she passed Chloe, but Chloe did not so much as look at her. Last year, Marinette would have been happy to be invisible to Chloe Bourgeois. Now, though…

Marinette stopped walking and stood in the middle of the park away from the others, lost in her troubled thoughts until she heard her favorite voice. 

“Hey, I’m so happy you came, Chlo,” Adrien said. “I was worried you’d stand me up for a minute there.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not a party without me, obviously.”

Marinette stared at Adrien welcoming Chloe to his party. He held her hands and grinned, but she seemed oddly subdued in his presence. It was such a bizarre meeting between them that Marinette wondered if she was hallucinating. 

“No, it’s not,” Adrien said, squeezing her hands affectionately. “Hey, are you okay?”

Chloe didn’t answer him because all of a sudden, she was looking directly at Marinette just standing there eavesdropping. Marinette was so surprised to have been caught staring that she ran away from the problem. Literally. 

“Marinette!” Tikki hissed, not appreciating being jostled in Marinette’s purse without warning. 

Common sense thankfully outpaced Marinette, and she didn’t get far. Her face burned with shame and embarrassment, which she tried to hide by feigning interest in the sausages Marc was grilling with Rose and Juleka as they all chatted. 

“Oh, Marinette! Goodness, are you okay? You look like you just ran a marathon!” Rose said. 

Marinette fanned herself and tried to smile. “Uh, no! I mean, yeah! Of course I’m okay. Running? Who’s running? I’m just standing here talking to you guys!”

Marc looked at her like a deer in the headlights, and Juleka sighed and minded the sausages before they could burn. 

“Hey, that reminds me,” Rose said cheerfully. “You brought the cake, right Marinette?”

“The cake?” Marinette blanched. “Oh…”

Juleka shot her a look. “Please tell me there’s not a silent ‘shit’ in there somewhere.”

Oh shit was right. Marinette had forgotten to bring Adrien’s cake even after she’d volunteered herself to do just that. Her father had baked it special and left it in a pretty pink box on the counter, where she must have left it. Marinette felt faint. 

“Hey, I’m sure it’s okay,” Marc said. “I mean, the night’s young, right? People’re still eating, you know…”

Marinette latched on to Marc’s lifeline like a drowning woman. “You’re absolutely right, Marc. This is fine! I’ll just pop back over to my place and get the cake, no sweat!”

Rose and Juleka exchanged a look. 

“Are you sure?” Rose asked. “It’s all the way across town. What about traffic?”

Marinette grinned. There wasn’t much traffic for a yo-yo swinging, masked superhero traversing the rooftops of Paris. “I’ll take the metro. You won’t even know I’m gone.”

  _And with any luck, neither will Adrien._

“Want us to come with you?” Juleka asked. 

“No, I’m good! Just keep everyone plied with barbecue so they’re not hungry!”

Marinette ran off, transformed behind a tree, and took to the skies.

* * *

 

Lila split her focus between the drinking game and the bizarre sight of Chloe and Adrien, hands clasped. What could those two possibly have to talk about? Were they that close? No, that couldn’t be it. Chloe didn’t have friends, and with good reason. Surely not even Adrien was nice enough to overlook her insolence.

“Chug, chug!” Kim cheered on Nathaniel, who got ready to flip his cup. He managed after a couple tries, and it was Lila’s turn to drink. 

She downed her few sips of wine like water and landed her cup in one flip just as Max dropped his on the ground. Kim whooped like the hooligan he was at heart, scooped Lila up like she was nothing but a little doll, and spun her around. 

“MVP! MVP! You fuckers got nothin’ on us!” Kim chanted. 

Nathaniel was less enthusiastic and merely smiled. He hiccuped and flushed tomato red. “Hey, I think I’m gonna sit the next round out…”

Lila blew a kiss to all their classmates, much to Kim’s delight, and he put her down finally. She discreetly smoothed out her burgundy sun dress and tried her damndest not to roll her eyes. Kim was as dull as a bag of hammers, but he, Rose, and Adrien were the only people in class who didn’t have a bad bone in their bodies. It was easy to put up with his ridiculous antics when Lila knew he genuinely meant well.

“I’m finished with this game, too,” Max said haughtily. “Is it even a game? I would say not. There’s no skill involved whatsoever.”

“Says the guy on the losing team,” Alya quipped. 

“Babe, you’re supposed to be cheering for our side!” Nino lamented. 

“I’m the referee. I can’t play favorites.”

“Well, since we won the last game and Max is forfeiting, I think that makes us the champions,” Lila said, smirking. 

“Woooo!” Kim hollered. 

“What?! No way, Nath just bowed out, too! We’re both down to two,” Alix said. 

Kim plugged his ears and began to sing. “La-la-la, no take backs!”

Alix bared her teeth. “You chicken shit!”

“Somebody need more players?” said Adrien. 

“Adrien, bro! Broski, my main bro,” Nino said. “Your timing’s perfect.”

An Asian girl Lila didn’t recognize was with Adrien. Her dark eyes were sharp and observant, and her poise was casual but not lazy, like she could have picked up the chair Nathaniel had slumped in, dumped him out of it, and thrown it at Kim without a moments’ hesitation if the occasion called for it. 

“Oh, Adrien, thank god. Please sub me out,” Nathaniel said. “I think I need some water.”

“Sure, I’ll play a round,” Adrien said, always agreeable.

“Flip Cup?” said the Asian girl. 

“No, it’s all-out war, and we got a deserter in our midst,” Alix said darkly, casting Max a disappointed look. 

The Asian girl shook her head. “Dishonor.”

Alix grinned. “Fucking right. Who’re you, again?”

“Oh, sorry guys,” Adrien cut in. “This is Kagami Tsurugi.” 

“Yooooo, fencing chick!” Nino said, throwing his arm around Kagami. “So you _are_ real!”

_Real not in to physical contact,_ Lila thought, watching as Kagami coiled like a snake bracing to strike as she endured Nino’s hug for all of two seconds before slickly slipping out from under him. 

“You think I made her up?” Adrien said, oblivious. 

“The only thing made up is your delusions of victory in the next round,” Kagami said. 

“Yeah, _fuck yeah_ ,” Alix said. “I like you.”

“Oooh, fresh meat!” Kim bellowed. “Bring it on, newbie!”

“Okay, guys, keep it in your pants,” Alya said. “I want a clean game!”

Adrien laughed. “So, what’re the rules?”

Kim explained the art of flipping an empty solo cup as if it were a complicated physics problem. 

“It’s all in the wrist,” Lila said, taking Adrien’s hand in hers to guide his positioning. 

“Like this?” Adrien flipped the empty cup and stuck the landing. 

“Perfect.” Lila let her fingers linger on his wrist. If only Marinette were here to see this, it would have truly been perfect. 

Alya whistled. “Okay, teams! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Adrien pulled away from Lila without a second thought, and she pursed her lips. Why were the pretty ones always so dense? She flipped her long hair and took her place, but found Kagami watching her across the table. She held out her hand for Lila to shake. 

“May the best team win,” Kagami said. 

“We will,” Lila said, shaking her hand. 

For a tense second, they watched each other like a pair of lions circling the same kill.

“Ready, and…go!” Alya commanded. 

Kim and Alix were first up and began to chug and flip. The others cheered them on, but Kagami was quiet as she continued to observe Lila. Despite herself, Lila felt that gaze under her skin, accusatory. Like she’d been caught redhanded doing something forbidden. 

Alix landed her cup on the second flip, and Nino struggled next with his cup. Kim had dropped his cup and a round of boos sounded. When he finally landed his cup, Adrien quickly drank his share and faced off against Nino.

“Look at this, ladies and gentlemen!” Alya announced in a mock-speaker voice. “Our star-crossed BFFs, pitted against each other in a test of honor and dexterity! Only the sober will survive!”

“Fuck! This! Game!” Nino cried as he unsuccessfully flipped his cup like the tipsy idiot he was. 

“I won!” Adrien said when he managed to flip his cup correctly. “Oh my god, I’ve never won anything in my life!”

“Ah Adrien, such beauty! Such grace! Such disregard for the rules of engagement! You haven’t won anything yet,” Alya said. 

Lila was ready with her cup, but she choked on the wine when she swallowed too fast and coughed, costing her precious seconds. It was all the time Nino needed to finally flip his cup successfully, and Kagami was ready to go. 

It was down to the two anchors, and Lila tried to focus, but that was difficult with Kim and Adrien whooping like this was the goddamned Tour de France and Kagami looking so at ease under pressure. 

She missed her first flip. Kim screeched like a pterodactyl. Kagami finished her drink.

Lila caught her eye across the table, and an unspoken understanding passed between them that this was a stupid fucking game a monkey could have learned, but it was vitally important that there be a winner and that winner better be _me_.

Kagami flipped. 

Lila flipped. 

Alix had an aneurysm.

“Oh shit, son!!” Kim shouted. “What’d I tell you?!”

Kagami’s cup lay on its side, while Lila’s stuck the landing. Kim got down on the grass and tried to do the Worm, but only succeeded in wiggling around like a drunken, teenaged noodle.

“That’s it! Kim’s team wins!” Alya confirmed. 

“Maaaan,” Nino said.

Adrien laughed. “Sorry, Nino. Best two out of three?”

“Not for me,” Lila said, stretching her arms over her head and pleasantly buzzed from the wine. “You two will have to carry on without me.”

“Sure,” Adrien said. “Hey Alya, want to take a break from reffing for a bit?”

“What the birthday boys wants, the birthday boy gets,” Alya said. 

Nino looked stricken. “Oh, be still my stabbed and barely beating heart. Thou wicked traitoress!”

“That’s not a real word,” Kagami said. 

“Ah! Wounded on all sides!” Nino clutched his heart, while Alya mouthed an apology to Kagami.

“Lila, you can’t go!” Kim beseeched her. “You’re, like, our secret weapon!”

She waved him off. “ _Veni, vidi, vici_ —and now I’m gone _._ ”

“Man, you know I don’t speak Spanish.”

_Oh, you poor, dumb boy._

Still, Kim had an endearing sort of charm that only the truly guileless could capture. Lila pitied him, but she also saw no point in ruining his fun and her accumulated goodwill. So she held her tongue and just smiled slyly. 

“There, there, Kim,” Adrien said. “I’ll see if Ivan and Mylène want to play.”

Lila left the game table to grab water and clear her head. Rose and Juleka sat with her for a bit, and she told them some tale about an uncle who was a Cirque du Soleil star in Montreal, which Rose ate up like a starved puppy. It kept Lila entertained until the girls moved on—something about a wayward birthday cake. Alone again, Lila decided she’d had enough of a break and went to get a fresh cup of wine. As she was pouring out the Bordeaux, Kagami joined her. 

“Kicked off the team already?” Lila said. 

Kagami filled a cup with water and leaned her hip on the table. “Why, were you hoping for some company over here?”

Lila scoffed. “Contrary to popular belief, proper drinking is best done alone.”

Kagami chuckled. “So’s nursing a wounded ego.”

“Wounded? I recall that _I_ won that last game, not you.”

Kagami gulped down her water and set the cup on the edge of the table upside down. “Well, if you’re this delightful when you win, then you must be absolutely lovely when you lose.”

She flipped the cup perfectly on the first try like it was nothing at all. With a last, knowing look, Kagami sauntered off, her red pleated skirt taunting behind her. And Lila stood there a little bit frozen, a little bit bewildered. 

Kagami had let her win.

* * *

 

On the other side of the city, Hawk Moth stood in his solar surrounded by ghostly wings. He admired the little butterflies, how they responded to his every thought and whim. One landed on his offered palm, feathery antennae twitching. Its wings shimmered sky blue with curiosity. 

“Interesting,” he said to himself. “This power…”

He closed his eyes and receded deep into his memories, searching for one he could use. They passed his mind’s eye like film stills, each a moment frozen in time, ripe for the ripping. One in particular caught his attention, and he reached for it. 

Shattered windshield glass underfoot, the bleached smell of a hospital, starchy sheets, brittle blonde, skin like paper. He envisioned the memory between his fingers and squeezed, milking it for everything it had, until it was nothing but tar, pulpy and thick in his palm. 

When he opened his hand, an akuma fluttered away on black wings. He let it go, feeling its pull even as it flew far across the city, like a worm on a line. It was not long until its hook took, and Hawk Moth felt the sharp tug on the other end like a desperate plea. 

He licked his lips. He could almost taste the fear in this one.

_You’ll do._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Fuckery Has Gabriel Dragged Me Into Now, aka the draft title of Nathalie’s memoirs.
> 
> I love hearing from readers, so if you have 20 seconds to spare, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on the chapter. Short, long, or incoherent screaming are all equally valid and appreciated! :)


	4. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for clowns (???)

Lanterns in the trees ignited as night encroached and cast the park in a dreamy, golden glow. It was warm enough to be comfortable and the cheap wine wasn’t too bad after the first few sips. If it wasn’t for the smell of chargrilled meat, Chloe may have even thought the night pleasant. As it was, she didn’t know why she was still here. 

“Psst! Honey Bee,” Pollen said, poking her head out of Chloe’s handbag. 

“Mm?” Chloe said, taking a sip of wine. 

“Why don’t you go talk to everyone? They look like they’re having fun with that Flip Flop game!”

“You mean, Flip Cup.” Chloe glanced at the table of rowdy teenagers. For every successful flip, there were three times as many drops to the ground. Alix dropped her cup, wiped a bit of dirt from the lip, and drank the couple sips left. Chloe grimaced. _Gross._

“Yeah, that’s it,” Pollen said.

“Pass. I don’t want to catch a staph infection.”

She walked to a secluded lake near the edge of the park and caught her reflection in the water. Pollen flew to her shoulder and smiled up at her. 

“Okay, you don’t have to play. But you told Luka you would try to have fun here, so…”

Chloe made a face. She could not believe her own weakness having broken down in front of a total stranger. She believed even less that he’d somehow managed to comfort her in some small way. If their roles had been reversed, she would have left him to fend for himself in a heartbeat. But not Luka. And not Adrien, either. 

“Oh, look! Here comes Adrien!” Pollen said, phasing back into Chloe’s bag. 

Sure enough, he was jogging around the lake to catch up to her. Chloe crossed her arms. It was just Adrien. She’d come here for him, the only person who mattered. The others were just white noise, unimportant. Even Marinette— _especially_ Marinette. She heard him approaching, but didn’t turn to look at him, suddenly nervous. 

_“The birthday guy, Adrien, he’s your friend, right?”_ the memory of Luka’s voice said softly. _“Whatever’s got you so upset, a true friend will always listen if you give them a chance. What do you have to lose?”_

Chloe bit her lip. She hadn’t been able to answer his question then, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to answer it now.

“I’m right here, Sweetness,” Pollen whispered. “I’m always with you, don’t forget.”

Chloe took a deep breath and steeled herself. She’d come here for one reason only, and she was no coward, damnit. The kwami of Courage had found her worthy above all others, after all. She would not waste this chance. 

“Chlo, hey. I saw you come over here earlier,” Adrien said, joining her by the lake. “Sorry I took so long, but Kagami doesn’t know many people here, so I wanted to make sure she wasn’t by herself.”

“Whatever, it’s your party. You can do what you want,” Chloe said. 

As usual, Adrien took her acerbic tone in stride and just smiled. “Well in that case, how do you feel about a walk?”

Chloe glanced down at her shoes—force of habit. She’d worn flats knowing the park grass could be lethal to her Jimmy Choos. “What about all your guests?”

“They can entertain each other. I want to hang out with you. Is that okay?”

Despite herself, her heart soared just a little. “Yeah, whatever. I guess it’s fine.”

Adrien grinned and offered her his arm. “Shall we?”

Chloe rolled her eyes but took his arm, anyway. In her bag, Pollen buzzed excitedly, and Chloe had to shove her hand in to quiet her down lest Adrien notice her. They walked along the water’s edge under green-leafed Ginkgo trees heavy with nuts. 

“I know I said this before,” Adrien said as they walked, “but I’m really glad you came. I was afraid you wouldn’t.”

Chloe wondered how much to tell him, and how. She’d come here with one purpose in mind, a last resort she knew she needed after everything that had happened with Marinette over the last week, but what if Luka was wrong? What if Adrien wouldn’t listen? What if he didn’t want to know? 

“I almost didn’t come,” Chloe said. 

Adrien peered at her. “You know, I get it. I know what you’ve been going through.”

Chloe tightened her grip on his arm. What did he know, exactly? 

“And I know you’re too tough to come out and say it,” Adrien went on. “I really admire your bravery, but sometimes being tough’ll only make things harder on yourself.” He stopped walking and faced her fully. “You don’t have to be alone, Chlo.”

Chloe’s throat clenched. “What are you—”

“Marinette,” Adrien interrupted, his voice low. “I saw the way you clammed up before. I know you two don’t get along, and how hard that can be since she’s friends with everyone.”

Chloe felt the tension leave her shoulders like air from a stuck balloon. “Oh. That.”

“I wish things were different, but I know it’s not really my place to get involved, so—”

“Yeah, it’s not. I don’t want to talk about Marinette.”

Adrien studied her. “Okay, I won’t make you. But, can I just ask you one thing?”

“What?”

“Did something happen between you two? I mean, recently? I’ve never seen her avoid you like she did earlier.”

“Maybe you should ask her.”

“I would, but she left.”

“She did?”

“Yeah, to pick up the cake. I guess she forgot to bring it with her.”

Instinctively, Chloe felt herself relax a little knowing Marinette was not here. 

“Chlo?” Adrien said. 

Chloe shook her head. “What is it about her?”

“What?”

“Marinette. Why do you like her so much? Why does anyone?”

Perhaps if he were anybody else, Adrien may have dismissed her questions as petty complaining, but he didn’t. He just smiled softly and gave her an earnest answer. 

“Because she’s a good person. She’s always putting others before herself, and she cares about making people happy. She’s really passionate about the things she does, and it shows in her work and in her relationships. She goes above and beyond for the people she cares about, and even sometimes for the people she doesn’t. I think that makes her really special.”

“You make her sound like some kind of hero.”

Chloe had meant it as a jab, but Adrien just nodded. 

“She is, in a way. She’s kind of like our everyday Ladybug. I guess I just wish you two could find a way to get along. I think she’d be a really amazing friend to you if you gave each other a chance.”

Chloe stopped listening at ‘Ladybug’ and stared openly at Adrien, her childhood friend, her first friend—her only friend, these days. She had been with him at his best, when their mothers would get together for play dates and let them run around the long, empty halls of Agreste Manor pretending to be knights and princesses and the occasional dragon. She’d seen him at his worst, when he would cry and quake in her arms, wishing they were his father’s instead of hers for once, just once. 

But she had never quite seen him like this. 

“A,” she said. “Do you _like_ Marinette?”

Adrien looked at her, puzzled, and then slowly began to flush as he took her meaning. “I—wait, what?”

“You heard me.”

“Yeah, I heard you, but…” He ran a hand through his hair. “You know you’re not the first person to ask me that recently.”

“Was it the endless praise that gave you away? Jesus, next you’re going to tell me she farts glitter and, like, befriends woodland creatures. Tell me more about how perfect she is, _please_.”

He made a face. “C’mon, it’s not like that at all. She’s just a good friend, and that’s all I’m trying to say in general. Besides, I already have someone I like.”

“Since when?”

“Since a while ago…” His flush was back. “It’s Ladybug. The real one, I mean.”

And then, Chloe blacked out. 

For about five seconds, she completely shut down, short-circuited. Her vision tunneled until she saw only Adrien’s face, heard only the frenetic beating of her own heart, and tasted blood on her tongue from having bitten down on it hard enough to break the skin. Because no way. No way in _hell_.

Somewhere on the edges of Chloe’s consciousness, she imagined Pollen screaming into a pocket in her bag at the _utterly ridiculous_ irony. 

And then she snapped out of it, came out of the well she’d fallen into at this earth-shattering realization, and wished more than anything that she could fall back in. 

Adrien was in love with Ladybug. 

Meaning, he was also in love with Marinette. 

Because Marinette was Ladybug. 

And anyone with half a brain knew, plain as day, that Marinette was hopelessly in love with Adrien. 

Which meant—

“Chlo? You okay there? You kind of spaced out for a minute.” Adrien put a hand on her shoulder in concern. “Hey.”

Chloe stared up at him. Luka had encouraged her to face every doubt, every fear, every ounce of pain just long enough to come here for Adrien. The risk of running in to Marinette was worth it for the chance to keep the only person left whom she trusted and admired. She’d thought that if Ladybug’s secret could cost her everything, then maybe Queen Bee’s secret could win it all back. 

Unless…

_What if he chooses her over me?_

“A…” She slipped a hand into her bag and felt Pollen hug her palm. “There’s something I came here to tell you.”

“What is it?”

He had every reason to choose Ladybug—Marinette—over her. He was in love with her, had said it himself. And if he only knew…

_He would choose her._

In a heartbeat. Chloe knew it as truly as she knew her own reflection. 

“Chlo? Hey, is everything okay? You look really pale suddenly,” Adrien said. 

Why shouldn’t he choose her? Everyone else did. Even Chloe herself would choose Ladybug every single time. Even now, even after everything, Ladybug was everything. She was good and true, selfless and altruistic, and always trying to put people’s happiness first. She was passionate and fierce, and she always gave her all to help others, even the people she didn’t care about. Especially the people she didn’t care about. Queen Bee was living proof.

Ladybug was everything Adrien attributed to Marinette, even if he did not realize it.

Because it was not simply that Marinette was Ladybug, but that Ladybug was Marinette.

She was everything Chloe could never be, and that was what made her great. It made her a hero.

_I would choose her, too._

“Whoa, hey,” Adrien said, taking Chloe by the arms, careful but firm. “Why are you crying? Chlo, talk to me, hey.”

Chloe could not say when she’d started crying. All she could do was look up at him and wish she could be anybody else. “I’m…”

A high-pitched scream sounded nearby, startling both Chloe and Adrien. A woman carrying her small child was stumbling as she ran, one shoe lost in her mad flight. Other park-goers soon followed, all of them fleeing and some shouting in fright. The source of their fear soon showed itself, and Chloe really wished it hadn’t. 

A man dressed as a colorful party clown lumbered after the fleeing people. He was tall and lanky, his limbs almost too long for his thin body. He carried an oversized mallet, cartoonish in its proportions, the head dripping blood. 

_Wait, blood?_

Chloe stared in disbelief at the sight of what she could only describe as a killer clown, straight out of a Stephen King novel. His sunken eyes swept the field, and Chloe got a good look at his grease-painted face. A mouthful of yellow fangs grinned as he came upon an older man too slow to keep up with the children and young people dashing away. The clown wound up his mallet and swung, hitting the man in the back of the head with a sickening crunch. 

“Holy shit!” Adrien said hoarsely.

Chloe had no words as she watched the old man stumble to the ground, his head a bloody ruin. The clown shouldered his mallet once more, dripping with fresh blood and brain matter. It took her a moment to hear his laugh, low and guttural. He set off again, big red clown shoes thumping in the grass. The row of leafy Ginkgo trees and the gloom of night kept him and anyone else in the park from spotting Adrien and Chloe so close by.

“Did that clown j-just—” Adrien stammered. 

_Adrien._

Chloe snapped out of her stupor and remembered herself. Sound and feeling came rushing back, as well as the wine she had swallowed. It all came up her throat and spilled onto the paved trail, splattering her white flats. Adrien barely moved, his hands clenched tightly over his mouth as he stared in horror at the old man’s mangled corpse several meters beyond the trees. 

She had to get him out of here. 

It was the only thought on her mind. Everything else, thoughts of Marinette and Ladybug, of her own insecurities and doubts, faded away at the thought of Adrien as the one on the ground, his head smashed to hell. Chloe was no Ladybug, she knew that better than anyone, but she was the one here now. 

“A,” she said, hardly recognizing her own voice. She wiped glistening bile from her lips. “I didn’t want to tell you like this.”

Adrien looked like he might be sick himself at any moment. “It’s going to have to wait. I need to stop this.”

Chloe would have laughed in his face if they hadn’t just witnessed a man brutally murdered right in front of them. “You need to get as far away from here as you can.”

More people screamed deeper in the park, near where they had left the other Dupont students who had turned out for Adrien’s party. 

“Shit!” Adrien said, drawing the same chilling conclusion Chloe had. 

Chloe grabbed his wrist and yanked him around. “Get out of here.”

“Chlo, what’re you—”

“Pollen, Buzz on.”

Adrien’s green eyes went wide as Pollen flew out of Chloe’s bag and did a cheeky little bow. 

“Right away, my queen!” 

Golden light flashed bright, and Queen Bee was suited up and ready for a fight. She still held Adrien’s wrist.

“Chlo, you… You’re—”

“Yeah, now get out of here so I don’t have to worry about saving your ass from Pennywise.”

She didn’t wait for his answer and leaped into the nearest tree to take off after the killer clown, praying to Pollen to lend her strength. 

The clown laughed as he chased more people, as if it were some kind of game to him. He had reached the Dupont students, and Rose screamed in fright. Kim, the drunken idiot, tried to be brave and stand up to the clown, but Ivan hauled him under one arm and ran just as the clown swung again. The ground shook, and the alcohol did the rest. Kim and Ivan lost their footing and fell, and the others shouted in terror. 

“Ivan!” Mylène screamed. 

“Mylène, watch out!” Alix said, diving to help. 

Queen Bee threw her top as hard as she could, and it grew to the size of a small car as it hit the ground and tore into the clown. He turned and saw Queen Bee perched in the tree just as the enlarged top mowed him down. 

“Chat Noir, thank god!” Max said. 

“Shit, man,” Kim said, shaking in fright at the destruction Queen Bee’s top had wrought just a few steps from him. “Did that clown have _fangs_?!” 

Chat had arrived on the scene and easily lifted Kim and Ivan to their feet and into Mylène’s waiting arms. “Get out of here, guys. That clown’s no laughing matter.”

Queen Bee didn’t have time to worry about Chat and his horrendous comedic timing when the clown miraculously dragged himself out of the rubble where the top had buried him, good as new. He picked up his mallet, met Queen Bee’s gaze, and grinned wolfishly. She felt the sudden urge to vomit again as fear gripped her. 

“Valentin,” the clown said in a sandpaper voice, grinning wider and revealing his razor-sharp teeth. 

He leaped high into the air, higher than any normal person could have, and swung his mallet hard at Queen Bee. It was all she could do to jump out of the way, and she felt the wind from his swing that missed her by centimeters. No longer ungainly and crooked, he was as agile as any Miraculous wielder, and just as strong. 

“What the hell,” Queen Bee gasped, landing hard on the ground and scrambling for her top. 

Chat was at her side, and they watched as the clown landed and struggled with his mallet again. 

“Bee, get behind me,” he said. “It’s not safe.”

“ _Excuse_ me?”

But Chat was already running to meet the clown. 

“Valentin…” the clown muttered. 

Chat extended his staff and swung hard. He clocked the clown square in the face and sent him crashing into a Ginkgo tree. But it was a short-lived victory when, moments later, the clown picked himself up as if he hadn’t just suffered a bone-crushing beating. 

_What is this?_ Queen Bee thought, trying to ignore her growing sense of dread. _He’s not clamoring to take Chat’s Miraculous, and nothing we do seems to hurt him at all. What kind of akuma is he?_

Marinette picked a great time to leave.

_Don’t think about her._

Chat was getting ready to pummel the clown again, his patented bravado nowhere to be found, but nearby people drew the clown’s attention and he lumbered toward them. In an inhuman burst of speed, he jumped and brought his mallet down hard on two young children and their babysitter attempting to flee the scene. More people screamed and scattered, dragging each other and stepping over those who fell to get as far and as fast away as possible. 

“Valentin!” the clown bellowed, the only word he seemed to know. 

Queen Bee knew there were tears in her eyes as she stared at the carnage not far from where Adrien’s friends had been laughing and celebrating his eighteenth birthday together. One of the children had not died, merely lost his leg to the mallet’s brutal might. He wailed and clawed at the grass and the bloody remains of his babysitter and little sister. 

She moved before she even realized what she was doing. Perhaps it was the shock that robbed her of everything but the need to move, to _do something_. She channeled that emptiness into mindless, reckless determination, lunged at the clown akuma, and punched him as hard as she could. He turned just as her fist connected, and she got a close-up look at his sallow face—sunken eyes, like they’d been scooped out with molten spoons, a cheshire grin too wide to be quite human, and slick, sickle teeth that parted in a cackle. 

He grabbed her waist. 

Queen Bee barely managed a scream as she felt claws dig in to her hips, trying to rip through her super suit. She went flying along with him, and the world became a blur of black and red. The black turned out to Chat latched on to the clown and took the full force of the monster’s bite in his shoulder. 

“Cataclysm!”

Molten, dark energy blossomed over the clown’s blood-spattered suit, devouring him to the bone until there was nothing left but ashes. Chat and Queen Bee landed in a heap together out of breath and in pain, shaking. His neck and shoulder were slick with his blood; it was a miracle the clown’s bite hadn’t torn his windpipe out. And then she realized what he’d done. 

There was almost nothing left of the clown as Chat’s ravenous magic devoured him whole. Queen Bee stared in horror at the dissolving body before her. 

_Dead._

For a certainty. There was no coming back from Cataclysm, and they both knew it. But akumatized people were still people underneath the corruption, people who could be saved.

Queen Bee and Chat locked gazes as he held her to him on the ground, like he was afraid she, too, would fade away to nothing. The weight of what he’d done hung between them: she in silent horror, and he in grim acceptance. 

Until it was undone. 

Chat’s cat eyes widened in true fear as he watched the effects of his ultimate spell reverse in real time, and the killer clown slowly rejuvenated. Queen Bee scrambled to her feet, unable to believe her eyes. 

Sunken, black eyes, curling lips, and yellow fangs. The clown was getting up and reaching for his mallet, healthy and hale. 

“Get out of here,” Chat said, barely a whisper. He clutched a hand to his bloody shoulder. 

“Are you _kidding_ me?!” Queen Bee hissed, unable to stop shaking as the two of them backed away. 

Chat shot her a look she did not recognize on him. “Chlo, _please_.”

For the second time that day, Queen Bee experienced a momentary blackout as all her senses shut down and left her defenseless against the impossible truth staring back at her through Chat’s black mask. 

_No._

_Not you, anyone but you._

The clown was laughing again as he struggled to his feet. 

Chat’s Miraculous Ring chirped a warning. 

Ladybug was nowhere in sight. 

Queen Bee trembled where she stood. “Fuck.” 

* * *

 

Ladybug swung across the Parisian skyline, yo-yo in one hand and Adrien’s cake in the other. Normally, she would have taken the metro so as not to risk damaging the cake, but time was of the essence. She didn’t want everyone to be too drunk or too tired to properly celebrate Adrien’s eighteenth birthday. 

The night was clear and balmy, and she made very good time on her way back to the park. She landed near the edge, hoping to find a quiet place to revert her transformation, but was surprised to see the park deserted on this side. There were picnic blankets and food out, but no one around to enjoy them. It was like everyone had left in a hurry and hadn’t bothered to pack up their things. Ladybug kneeled down to examine a woman’s designer purse, open to show a wallet and cell phone tucked inside, forgotten. 

“What’s going on?” she wondered. 

Curious and a little discomfited, she wandered deeper into the park. She didn’t get far before she heard screaming. The sound froze her where she stood. That hadn’t been just one scream, but several. And they kept coming. People were shouting, frantic and afraid. Ladybug dropped the cake and took off at a sprint toward the distress. All she could think was that an akuma had shown up while she was gone, and now all her friends were in danger with no one to help them. 

_Queen Bee’s there,_ she remembered, feeling marginally better. Whatever the animosity between Marinette and Chloe, Ladybug could count on Queen Bee to protect innocent people from an akuma attack. 

Ladybug was so preoccupied with her thoughts and the need to get to the site of the screams that she didn’t notice the dark, wet patch in the grass through the gloom of night before it was too late. She slipped and fell hard on her shoulder. 

“Damnit,” she groaned, getting to her feet. 

Then she smelled it—coppery, tangy, sour. Blue eyes followed the short trail of blood to the larger splatter behind her, and the lumpy source just beyond. Ladybug gasped and covered her mouth as she scrambled as fast as she could away from the mutilated corpse, barely recognizable with its head smashed to bits. 

“Oh my god,” she squeaked, horrified. 

She had never seen a dead body up close before, least of all one as broken as this one. Her thoughts tumbled over each other as they piled up and flung her headlong to the realization that this body had to be freshly killed—it had not been here when she’d left earlier. 

And if it was a fresh murder, then the murderer was probably still here. 

_Those screams…_

She could still hear people shouting not far, and she knew. Whatever or whoever had killed this person was out there terrorizing others, and it was now her responsibility to find and stop them. 

Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will the spinning in her head to stop. Tears fell down her cheeks, and she found it suddenly hard to breathe. 

“Cataclysm!”

That familiar incantation summoned her as if from a deep sleep, and Ladybug was on her feet and sprinting. It didn’t take her long to reach Chat Noir’s location, but what she saw made her stomach turn. He and Queen Bee were struggling to their feet as people surrounded them, many of them Dupont students. They all watched as someone dressed like a clown materialized parts of himself from out of thin air. 

“Fuck,” Queen Bee said, shaking visibly. 

The clown had a bloody mallet as his weapon, and when he looked up, Ladybug got an eyeful of his monstrous face. This was no man, surely. No one could have survived Chat’s Cataclysm, let alone regenerated like a video game final boss. 

“Valentin,” the clown snarled, looking around. 

“Ladybug!” shouted Rose. 

All eyes, including the killer clown’s, turned to Ladybug standing under the Ginkgo tree looking like a deer caught in the headlights. She briefly locked eyes with Chat, who was leaking a disturbing amount of blood. 

“Watch out!” shouted a civilian woman.

Queen Bee jumped instinctively, but Chat was just a little too slow and took the blow meant for her. The mallet struck him in the back and sent him crashing into a picnic table. It broke more than his fall, and Chat didn’t get up. 

“Chat!” Ladybug screamed. 

“Son of a bitch!” Queen Bee threw her top and it bulldozed around the park, forcing the clown to change his path and stay away from Chat. 

Ladybug ran to help and passed more bodies on the ground, including a little boy whose leg had been smashed to shit, passed out and cradled in a young father’s arms as his wife helped their own children. 

“Ladybug, please! This boy needs a hospital or he’ll die!” the man beseeched her. 

“Ladybug, help us!” 

“Save us, Ladybug!”

All around, people cried for mercy and salvation, but Ladybug did not know how to give it to them. Nothing made sense. Akumas were sometimes violent, but not to this extreme. If they were Cataclysm’d, they would die as surely as anybody else, not revive. It was almost like this creature was invincible. Inhuman, even. 

This was not just an akuma; it was a nightmare. 

Instinct took over, and Ladybug shouted to be heard. “Everybody, clear the area! You, take this injured boy to safety! You, call the police! Get as far away from the park as possible as fast as you can!”

As though revived themselves, many of the people still in the area heeded Ladybug’s authoritative words and fled, helping those who could not escape quickly enough on their own. 

“Ladybug, you have to help my son!” cried a disheveled woman missing a shoe and cradling a young boy. 

“Venom!” Queen Bee shouted. She trailed her top and meant to jab the clown with her poisonous touch, but he was disturbingly fast and indiscriminate about where he swung his mallet. If she got too close, he could crush her before she paralyzed him. 

“I’m sorry, I have to help Chat Noir and—” Ladybug said. 

But the woman all but threw her unconscious son at Ladybug, and she was forced to catch the boy lest he fall. “Please! H-He’s been akumatized, I saw it happen! Valentin, please, you have to wake up!”

Valentin was fast asleep, and his eyes were blackened with shadows.

“Wait, the akuma’s in him?” Ladybug said. 

Sinister laughter drew her attention away from the sleeping boy just in time for Ladybug to see the clown getting in between some younger teenagers and their parents. 

“Valentin…?” the clown said. 

The kids screamed and tried to run, but the clown came in swinging with his mallet. Ladybug was moving before she could even think about it. She threw her yo-yo, snagged the mallet, and pulled back with all her might. The kids fell under the weight of the clown, now mallet-less but no less determined. He yanked two of them back and opened his serrated jaws wide. 

“Get away from them!” Kagami shouted. 

While Nino, Alya, Lila, and Alix worked together to drag Chat out of the ruins of the picnic bench he’d demolished, Kagami had gotten ahold of Chat’s staff and swung it like a sword, utterly fearless. The clown cackled and released the kids to avoid her. He made a grab for the staff, but Kagami knew her way around a sword and sidestepped him. She jabbed his stomach hard, but barely made a dent. 

Even so, it was all the time Queen Bee needed to come in unnoticed. She crashed into the clown and jammed her Venomous hands around his neck. He struggled under her weight and the paralytic she injected into him, sluggish but not frozen. Wild blue eyes found Ladybug’s. 

“He won’t hold for long! _Do_ something!” Queen Bee shouted. 

Ladybug’s mind was momentarily blank. With Chat down for the count, the body count piling up, and Queen Bee with only moments before her ultimate power inevitably failed just as Cataclysm had, they were fast running out of options. Ladybug retracted her yo-yo and tried to think. 

_I have to purify the akuma._

That was always how these ended. Purify the akuma, and the danger would nullify. Everything would be okay. 

“Valentin,” she said, remembering the sleeping boy. She ran back to him and his sobbing mother. “You said the akuma got to him?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right. He fell into this deep sleep, and that’s when the clown appeared!” the mother wailed. 

“Where is the akuma? What object did it possess?”

“I don’t know! I-It just went into him!”

“Agh!” Queen Bee struggled to hold the killer clown. Though lethargic, he nonetheless fought her and even managed to crawl to his hands and knees. Kagami was there to smack his limbs with enough force to shatter human bones, if the creature had been human. They wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long. 

“What do you mean, it just went _into_ him?” Ladybug said. 

“Here, just in here!” The mother place her hand over the boy’s heart. “Oh god, please save my boy!”

But Ladybug could not break Valentin’s body to release the akuma, as she would have done with an akumatized object. Nor could she fit an entire human child in her yo-yo to purify him. 

“Queen Bee!” Nino said. 

The clown was swaying on his feet and had managed to throw Queen Bee off of him. “Valentin…” Sunken eyes alighted on Ladybug, and he began swerving toward her. 

_He’s coming for the boy,_ Ladybug realized. _If I don’t get the akuma out of him now…_

She popped open her yo-yo and exposed the bath of pure creation magic it housed. If she couldn’t draw the darkness into her yo-yo, then she would just have to do it the other way around. Ladybug plunged her hand into the yo-yo and prayed that her untested theory would work. Her hand came away bathed in molten light that clung to her fingers like a glove. She pressed her hand to Valentin’s little chest, and her fingers sank through his flesh. 

“What are you doing?!” Valentin’s mother cried. 

Ladybug tried to ignore her and the clown shuffling closer. 

_Where are you?_

She closed her eyes and tried to envision the akuma fluttering. Moths were drawn to light in dark places, just as people were. She need only reach. 

_Come into the light._

“Valentiiiiiiiin!” the clown roared, staggering toward them. 

Queen Bee swung the clown’s own mallet at him, but it disappeared in a puff of black smoke between her fingers and reappeared in the clown’s. “No!”

With a baleful laugh, the clown took aim at Ladybug, Valentin, and his mother just as Ladybug grasped the akuma and envisioned it burning to ashes. She looked up just as the clown was upon her, moments from her own death, and clenched her illuminated fist as hard as she could. 

Valentin’s mother screamed, and the clown instantly dissolved into noxious smoke that swept over them harmlessly. Ladybug shielded her face and coughed, the acrid smoke burning her lungs as she inhaled, but the wind carried it away soon enough. In her hand, she clutched the remains of the purified akuma. 

“My lady,” Chat said, weak but awake where Nino and Alya each held him up on their shoulders. “Thank god…”

“Valentin!” Valentin’s mother cried. 

“M-Mommy?” Valentin had woken up, the shadows had faded from his eyes, and his dark skin was clammy with stress and fear. “I had a scary dream…”

“A nightmare?” Ladybug said. 

“He s-said he was gonna eat me!” Valentin buried his face in his mother’s shoulder. “Don’t let him get me, Mommy!”

Police sirens wailed, fast approaching. Chat’s and Queen Bee’s Miraculous beeped their respective warnings, and people were drawn back to the site of the battle now that the threat was neutralized. 

“What was that thing?” someone asked. 

“A serial killer!”

“No, it was an akuma, I saw the black butterfly before!”

“Oh god, it killed that man and his daughter…”

Ladybug knew her teammates were running out of time, and the police would be here any minute. She rose to stand, released the purified akuma, and tossed her yo-yo in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

Creation magic burst from her yo-yo as a million scarlet ladybugs took to the skies and repaired everything that was broken. Everything, that is, except the corpses growing cold where they had fallen. There was no fixing what was already dead. 

“Ladybug,” Chat said, healed thanks to her magic. “Are you okay? That thing didn’t hurt you, did it?”

“I’m okay, I got the akuma just in time—”

Chat’s ring beeped another warning, and he winced. 

“Chat,” Queen Bee said in a hollow voice. “We have to go.”

Ladybug looked between her teammates. “Wait, not yet. The police will want to know what happened here—”

“Then they can ask the twenty other people who witnessed the whole thing from the beginning,” Queen Bee interrupted, her glare icy. 

Ladybug flinched at the venom in her tone. “Even so, we need to talk about this. That akuma wasn’t normal.”

Queen Bee’s comb beeped, and she grabbed Chat’s wrist. “Now’s not a good time. Come on, Chat, let’s go.”

Ladybug was a little surprised when Chat fell into step with Queen Bee without a fuss. “Chat?”

His expression was unreadable. “Bee’s right. We’ll catch up with you after our kwamis recover, okay?”

Ladybug could not think of any logical reason to argue. Chat was right, they would revert and needed to recharge, after all. Even so, she could not shake the creeping feeling of dread at the sight of them opposite her, opposing her. Ladybug frowned at the thought, unsure where it had come from. 

“Okay,” Ladybug said. “Eiffel Tower in one hour.”

Chat and Queen Bee took off, leaving Ladybug to deal with the police and the eye-witnesses to the bloody akuma attack. 

* * *

 

Adrien hung up the phone with Nino, who had called him four times after the attack at the park when Adrien and Chloe were nowhere to be found. Everyone from Dupont had survived the murderous akuma attack, but Adrien was horrified to learn of his friends’ interference when Chat Noir was temporarily knocked out. Apparently, Kagami had appropriated his extending staff to help Queen Bee fend off the killer clown until Ladybug could purify the akuma. If Adrien wasn’t seriously questioning Kagami’s lack of self-preservation, he may have been proud of his badass fencing partner. It was a miracle she hadn’t become a victim. 

“Are you done yet?” Adrien said, nervously checking the hall for any sign of Nathalie or worse, his father. 

Plagg poked his inflated, furry head around the refrigerator door, his mouth full of cheese. “Mumf nummee!”

“I can’t understand you with your mouth full of cheese.”

Plagg swallowed and shot Adrien a menacing glare only a cat could ever pull off. “I said, don’t rush me. Eating is about the journey, not the destination.”

“I’m about to send you on a journey to the trash can if you don’t hurry it up a bit. We have to be at the Eiffel Tower.”

Plagg rolled his green eyes and tore off another chunk of Comté. “Ladybug said one hour. By my count, we still got a solid twenty minutes.”

“Yeah, but I need that extra time to talk to Chloe.”

“Foo meem Mweemvee.”

“What?”

Plagg swallowed his bite and crossed his little paws. “I said, you mean Queen Bee. Heh, ‘bout time you figured that one out.”

Adrien snatched the little kwami from the air and held him at eye level. “You _knew_? And you didn’t tell me?”

Plagg mimed choking, but when Adrien didn’t let him go, he gave up the charade. “Rules, kid. We got ‘em, you follow ‘em.”

“Right, because you’ve always been a real stickler for the rules.”

Plagg grinned and revealed two rows of tiny, white fangs. There were few sights quite so unsettling as a smiling cat, Adrien had learned during his time as Plagg’s Chosen. “When it suits me.”

Adrien grimaced and let Plagg go, but he floated back to the fridge to ply himself with more cheese. “I just can’t believe this. Any of this.”

Plagg burped loudly. “Well, believe it. The sooner you get over this, the sooner you can worry about the real problem here.”

“Like I could forget an akumatized clown killer. I’m going to have nightmares for weeks.”

Plagg floated in front of him, all pretenses of teasing gone. “That wasn’t an akuma, not like you’ve known them.”

Adrien bit his tongue. It was not often that Plagg took a serious tone with him, preferring always to play the role of lackadaisical, selfish house cat for his own amusement. But when he did deign to speak plainly, Adrien had learned well to listen. Plagg was a primordial god, after all. Sort of. “What does that mean, ‘not like you’ve known them’?”

Plagg stared up at him, unblinking. There was something markedly disturbing about him. Destruction was his essence, the ruin of men and gods and the worlds they inhabited since time immemorial, all packed into a tiny, black, cat bobblehead. “It means what you faced tonight wasn’t real. Cataclysm didn’t work, did it? You can’t destroy what doesn’t exist.”

“People are dead. It doesn’t get more real than that.”

Plagg snorted, unmoved. “Yeah, and when have you known Hawk Moth to murder people indiscriminately?”

Adrien had not considered that, but Plagg had a point. In the years past, some of the more dangerous akumas, like Stoneheart and Malediktator, had injured civilians in their obsessive pursuit of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous. On a handful of occasions, a casualty or two ended up as unfortunate collateral. But Adrien had never seen an akuma actively hunt people down for the slaughter. 

“What’s changed?” Adrien asked, not sure if he wanted to know. 

“Beats me. Maybe you should stop loafing around here and get your ass to the Eiffel Tower already. Chop chop, Super Model.”

Adrien narrowed his eyes. “Gee, you don’t say.”

Slipping out of Agreste Manor was child’s play for Chat Noir. His father was locked in his study working, while Nathalie was sound asleep in her room. There was a professionally-wrapped gift on Chat’s bed that he noticed as he slipped out his window, and a generic card with his father’s signature in Nathalie’s handwriting. Chat had not bothered opening it. It was probably another engraved fountain pen, the same one Gabriel had gifted him last year and the year before that. 

Chat put the thought out of his mind as he took to the rooftops and raced through the night to the Eiffel Tower. Queen Bee was already there when he arrived, but there was no sign of Ladybug yet. 

He landed on the grate opposite Queen Bee near the top of the tower, and they each took a moment to look the other over. 

“What the hell was that back there?” Queen Bee demanded. 

“I—what?” Chat said. 

“You know what. I get the whole chivalry bit you do with Ladybug, but trying to keep me out of the fight? What the hell was that?”

Chat was taken aback at the sudden attack, and it took him a moment to recall what she was talking about. “What do you mean, ‘what the hell was that?’ I was protecting you.”

“Why?”

“ _Why_? You don’t remember the psychotic clown that literally murdered people right in front of us?”

Queen Bee got in his face. “You think I couldn’t handle it?”

“Bee, _I_ couldn’t handle it,” Chat said, exasperated. 

She searched his eyes. “Do you not trust me or something?”

“Of course I trust you!”

“Then why did you pull that suicide move with Cataclysm?!”

“Because I didn’t want you to get hurt!”

“I’m a fucking superhero!”

“You’re my fucking _friend_!”

“And you’re _mine_!” Queen Bee shoved him against the metal railing. “How could you do this? How could you reveal yourself like that and then expect me to chill while you threw yourself into the fire? Did you think I wouldn’t care? That I’d be _grateful_?!”

Chat wanted to shout back at her, but the pain in her eyes took the wind from his sails. He reached for her. “Chlo…”

Queen Bee swatted his hand away and turned her back on him. “ _Don’t_ call me that.”

Chat ignored his own pain as he tried his best to understand hers. “But I’ve always called you that, ever since we were kids.”

She tensed. If she’d had wings like a true bee, he imagined they would have been buzzing her fury right about now. “Damnit.”

He heard her voice catch as she fought against a sob, and his heart wrenched. Perhaps this was why Plagg had said nothing about her identity to him. Perhaps he’d known it would bring only grief and pain. But Chat did not understand why. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, contrite. “I just saw that thing coming for you, and all I could see was you. Not Queen Bee the superhero, but my oldest friend who I couldn’t bear to see get hurt.”

Queen Bee said nothing, but she slipped out of reach when he touched her hand. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes through the gloom, and still Chat did not understand. 

“I wish you were anyone but you,” she said. 

“But why?” he said. “Chlo— _Bee_ , don’t you get it? There don’t have to be any secrets between us anymore. I’ve always wanted that. Don’t you?”

She looked at him like he was the saddest sight she had ever seen. “Not like this.”

Chat was losing his patience. “Why? What’s really going on here?”

She said nothing. 

“Damnit, talk to me. Please, just… Just forget the mask. It’s _me_ , Adrien. I’m on your side.”

She shuddered at his name, and he realized just how far away she was. When had they drifted so far apart? Why couldn’t they find their way back? It was more than the masks, more than the violence, he felt it in the deepest, emptiest part of himself, and yet he could not find the time to reach for it, to reach her. He hadn’t had the time for months, and she had drifted farther away.

_Did I do this?_

Chat’s staff beeped, signaling a new voicemail message from Ladybug. He played it back and immediately forgot the tension with Queen Bee. 

“What is it?” Queen Bee said, guarded. 

Chat powered off the phone app in his staff. “More bad news. Ladybug’s not coming.”

“What? Why? She’s the one who demanded we all meet here at this ridiculous hour.”

“She’s at Master Fu’s place. She wants us to meet her there. It’s an emergency.”

“Who’s Master Fu?”

“The Guardian. He’s the one who keeps all the other Miraculous safe.”

Queen Bee was watching him like he had grown antlers. “Okay, and we care because?”

“Because he was just robbed tonight.” Chat squeezed his staff for something solid to hold on to as he tried to process the magnitude of Ladybug’s message. “Someone broke in and stole all the Miraculous he was keeping.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay in updates recently. KH3 dropped and I’ve been spending literally all my free time playing it! I’m back to fic now, so expect more updates coming soon. Four chapters in and we’re already getting into the shit. Go pacing! Go angst! Go Kagami being a complete boss always and forever!


	5. Reveal

Ladybug returned from the kitchen with a hot pad and a tray with freshly brewed tea. Master Wang Fu sat in his ransacked living room dabbing blood from his split lip. 

“Master Fu, let me help you with this.” Ladybug offered him the hot pad for his sore back. 

He leaned forward in his chair to give her better access to his lower back. “Thank you.” 

Ladybug could hardly contain her anger at the sight of him so enfeebled. Since the day she had first met him when he gave her the Ladybug Miraculous years ago, Fu had always seemed to her like a guardian angel, as supreme as he was beneficent. Even his 200 year age had never much diminished his presence in her eyes. But now, surrounded by his broken possessions in the wake of a violent home invasion, he looked very much like the old Chinese man he was, and just as vulnerable. 

“I am sorry to drag you in to this,” Fu said, exhausted as he slumped back against the hot pad and reached for the tea Ladybug had prepared for him.

“It’s all right. I want to help.”

Fu stifled a cough. His hand shook, and he sloshed tea from the porcelain cup. Ladybug’s eyes were drawn to his bruised wrist where the Turtle Miraculous used to be. “But you should not have to. This is my mess. I am so sorry, Ladybug.”

Ladybug gritted her teeth. She took a fresh napkin from the tea tray and brought it to his lips to clean away the blood and spittle. “Please don’t say that. This wasn't your fault.”

Fu looked up at her. His dark eyes were hard and listless, the look of one who had long ago accepted that his fate was already sealed. “Yes, it is. And now I fear you and the others will be forced to suffer for my mistakes.”

Before Ladybug could say anything to that, there was a knock on the door. Fu made to get up, but Ladybug gently pushed him back down. “I’ll get it.”

Chat Noir and Queen Bee had arrived finally. The sight of them was immediately comforting, but the feeling faded the moment Ladybug saw the looks on their faces. Once again, she got the uncomfortable sensation that there was an invisible line dividing her from them, and she could not shake the nagging feeling that something had changed between Chat and Queen Bee. Something monumental. Something that had nothing to do with her. 

“My lady,” Chat said, his tone flat and professional. “We got here as fast as we could.”

Ladybug nodded. “Yeah, thanks. Come on in.”

Chat filed in past her, but Queen Bee lingered on the doorstep a moment. The two women watched each other a moment, silent. Ladybug steeled herself for any hint of acrimony, but there was no reading Queen Bee. 

“Let’s just get this over with,” she said at length and pushed past Ladybug. 

Later, they would have to talk about things, Ladybug knew. She had put it off for far too long, and clearly it was affecting their team dynamic. After the gruesome attack earlier today, she knew they could not afford any cracks in their united front. 

“Good, you’re all here,” said Fu when they had all gathered in the living room. 

“Jesus, it looks like a tornado blew through here,” Queen Bee said, picking up a broken picture frame. 

“My attackers were certainly determined. Queen Bee, it is good to finally meet you. I only wish the circumstances were happier.”

“Master Fu, you’re hurt,” Chat said, concerned. “What exactly happened? Ladybug said the Miraculous are gone?”

Fu nodded grimly and explained what he had already told Ladybug. Three thieves had broken in earlier that evening while he was in the midst of polishing the Miraculous pieces, as he did every month. They managed to surprise him before he could fend them off, and they made off with anything they could find of value, including the jade bracelet that housed the Turtle Miraculous. Fu recounted the tale with his head hung in shame. 

“If I had been more careful, they never would have found the Miraculous,” he said. 

“That has nothing to do with it,” Ladybug said. “You couldn’t possibly have known this would happen. Robberies happen all the time, and it’s no one’s fault but the thieves’.”

“So, like, how many Miraculous are we talking here?” Queen Bee asked. “Two? Three?”

“Fourteen,” Fu spat the word like a curse. “Every last one.”

“…Oh damn.”

Chat was deep in thought. “Hey, you don’t think this has anything to do with the attack today?”

“I thought about that, too,” Ladybug said. “But I don’t think so. The thieves took a bunch of electronics and even some old records. I think if they were sent by Hawk Moth, they would’ve just gone for the Miraculous.”

“So you’re saying they had no idea what they were taking? Then, that’s good news!”

“Yes and no, Chat Noir,” Fu said. “I agree that it is unlikely Hawk Moth is behind the theft. If he knew where I was, I have no doubt that he would have come personally to eliminate me. But even in the hands of the ignorant, the Miraculous are far from safe. If even one should come into contact with a person it deems worthy, however unwittingly, then that would initiate a Chosen bond. The secrets of the Miraculous would be exposed and unprotected. That power, even in innocent hands, can be very dangerous.”

“Then we have to find them,” Ladybug said. “Did you get a look at the thieves at all? Is there anything you could tell us that might help us locate them?”

Fu shook his head. “They wore ski masks. I only heard their voices, I’m sorry.”

“Forget the thieves,” Queen Bee said. “They probably don’t even have the Miraculous anymore. What we need now is money.”

Ladybug crossed her arms. “Oh, really? And how’s that supposed to help?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Why else would a bunch of losers break in to an old man’s house and steal all his junk? They’re fencers.”

“Hey, yeah, that makes sense,” Chat said. “You said they took all your electronics, right? They must be planning on selling everything for cash.” 

Queen Bee flipped her hair. “Duh.”

Fu thought about that. “Hm, yes, I see your point. Perhaps, then, the three of you could investigate any local pawn shops that may be receiving new inventory over the next few days?”

Queen Bee made a face. “Like I’d be caught dead in some sleazy second-hand store.”

“What she means to say is that she’d be _delighted_ to check it out,” Ladybug said in a clipped tone. “We all would.”

“Actually, I think Bee has a point,” Chat said. 

“I’m _sorry_?”

Chat and Queen Bee shared a meaningful look. Once again, Ladybug felt her skin crawl at the odd familiarity between them, and how far away they seemed from her all of a sudden. 

“I just meant that maybe this isn’t a job for Team Miraculous, but for our civilian selves. Wouldn’t it be kind of suspicious if three superheroes who get their powers from magical jewelry suddenly started asking around after more jewelry?”

“Totally,” Queen Bee said. “The best way to get all those Miraculous back is to buy them back, _obviously_.”

“Oh, yeah? With what money?” Ladybug said. 

“Don’t worry, my lady, money’s no object for us,” Chat said with a smile meant to reassure. 

Ladybug was feeling far from reassured, however, as she looked between her teammates with mounting suspicion. “What do you mean, ‘us’?”

Fu cleared his throat. “Perhaps Chat Noir and Queen Bee are on to something. The less attention we draw to the Miraculous, the safer they will be. Should Hawk Moth get wind of this, there is no telling to what lengths he would go to secure even one additional Miraculous.”

Ladybug could not help but fume even as she held her tongue. Why were they all siding against her? And where in the world were they supposed to get the money to buy back fourteen Miraculous? Maybe Queen Bee had access to exorbitant amounts of money thanks to her access to the Bourgeois family coffers, but Ladybug sure as hell did not. 

“Master Fu, I know we’re here about the stolen Miraculous, but I need to ask you something about the akuma attack that happened earlier today,” Chat said. 

Fu listened as Chat recounted the horrific encounter with the killer clown. “How terrible. With all the commotion with the robbery, I must have missed the news reports.”

“My Cataclysm didn’t work on the clown,” Chat said. “Neither did Bee’s Venom in the end. That’s never happened before. Plagg said it was because the clown didn’t exist, but he seemed pretty real when we were fighting him. Do you know anything about that?”

Fu frowned, thinking. “No, I can’t say that I do. But I assume you purified the akuma?”

“Barely,” Queen Bee said derisively. 

Ladybug shot her a glare. “I did, but that was weird, too, now that you mention it. Master Fu, have you ever heard of an akuma possessing a person instead of an object? Because the little boy who was akumatized said he dreamed the clown.”

“That is very odd. Nooroo’s power is Empathy, and he grants his Chosen the ability to feel the emotions of others. An akuma born of a nightmare… I suppose that is not outside the realm of possibilities. As I recall, Sandman had a similar power, did he not?”

Chat shuddered. “I remember. That akuma made our worst fears come true.”

“Yeah, but that was different. The akuma was powering a person, not a literal nightmare. And Sandman didn’t go on a murderous rampage, either,” Ladybug said.

Fu shook his head. “I wish I could be more helpful, but the thieves took my cell phone. The pages of the Miraculous Tome may have had some answers, but all the pictures were on my phone.”

“Miraculous Tome?” Queen Bee said. “Like, a book?”

“Yes, a very rare book filled with history and secrets relating to the Miraculous,” Fu said. “I was able to scan its pages before returning it to its current owner.”

“Well, why don’t you just get it back, then? I mean, you’re some kind of Guardian, right? Shouldn’t you, like, have a copy of a book that seems directly relevant to your job?”

Chat had gone very still as he looked at Master Fu. “Did you say history and secrets about the Miraculous?”

“Why, yes,” Fu said. 

“Where did you get this book?”

“Oh, well, that’s…” Fu glanced at Ladybug. “It doesn’t matter. As I said, the book is back with its current owner.”

Chat looked at Ladybug strangely. She did not understand that lost look, but she did not like it at all. 

“Chat?” she said. “Are you okay?”

“Did you get the book?” he asked. 

“What?”

“Answer the question, please.” He took a step forward.

Ladybug took a step back. “What’re you talking about? This isn’t important.”

“It’s important to me. Just tell me where you got that book.”

Ladybug’s throat tightened. She could not reveal that she’d taken it from Adrien without risking compromising her identity; she’d done enough of that lately, and it had only caused trouble. She glanced at Queen Bee instinctively, and strangely, Queen Bee seemed to understand. 

“Shouldn’t we be worrying more about Hawk Moth than some stupid book?” Queen Bee said.

Chat ignored her. “Ladybug, tell me the truth.”

Ladybug racked her brain for something to appease Chat. Why wasn’t he letting this go? 

Queen Bee took his wrist. “Chat, seriously. It doesn’t matter.”

Chat looked back at her, then at Ladybug. “If it doesn’t matter, then why won’t you just tell me? What’s going on?”

Panic churned Ladybug’s stomach like a sickness. She looked between Queen Bee and Fu, silently begging for a lifeline, anything.

“Perhaps we could all use a cup of tea to clear our heads,” Fu offered. “It has been a trying to day for you all—”

“Adrien Agreste had that book,” Chat said. “The one with the drawings of the ancient Miraculous Chosen—that’s the one you mean, isn’t it? How could you have possibly gotten it?”

Ladybug’s heart thundered in her chest, and she tasted bile on the back of her throat. She felt suddenly small under Chat’s questioning gaze. And then, she realized what he’d said. 

“…How do you know Adrien Agreste had it?” she asked. 

Chat faltered and, to Ladybug’s frustration, spared a glance at Queen Bee.

_What is this? Why are they both so—_

“Chat Noir, Ladybug, please. Let us focus on the plan to recover the stolen Miraculous,” Fu tried. 

Ladybug barely heard him as she scrutinized her two teammates. They had been acting strangely all day, ever since Chloe had shown up at Adrien’s party. It was the same during the akuma attack when they left together, and just now when showed up here, as if they’d been together the whole time. There was a weird familiarity between them, almost as if…

_No, it couldn’t be._

But then again, Queen Bee had discovered Ladybug’s secret already.

“Do you two…” Ladybug trailed off. 

“Do _you_ two?” Chat said, looking between Ladybug and Queen Bee as he seemed to arrive at a similar conclusion.

“Don’t,” Queen Bee said softly as she watched Ladybug. “Please.”

Ladybug covered her mouth in shock. 

_No…_

“You _know_ her?” Chat demanded of Queen Bee.

“Seriously, just drop it,” she hissed. 

But Chat did not drop it. He was shaking as he took Queen Bee by the arms. “Are you _kidding_ me?” He whirled and looked at Ladybug. She had never seen him looking so lost, so desperate. 

“Chat—” Ladybug said. 

“Plagg, Claws in.”

Ladybug was not prepared for the sight of Adrien Agreste standing where Chat Noir had been. Tears filled her eyes, and she covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. 

“…Why do I get the feeling I’m crashing a _really_ awful party?” Plagg said. 

_Adrien._

She couldn’t even speak his name. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” Queen Bee said.

Adrien ignored her as he approached Ladybug. “Show me, please.”

“Wait, don’t—” 

“Stop it, Chlo,” Adrien interrupted. “I know you both know each other’s identities, and I can’t just ignore that.” To Ladybug he said, “I promised you a long time ago that I would respect your wishes to keep our identities a secret, but you have to see that the situation’s completely changed. Keeping the secret now would do way more harm than good. People are dead. The Miraculous are gone. We don’t stand a chance if we can’t trust each other completely. So please, my lady…” He held out his hand for her. “Please trust me.”

Ladybug lost her composure at Chat’s favored diminution coming from Adrien. She could hold back her tears no longer. 

“Tikki, he’s right,” Plagg said, floating closer. “You know that.”

Somewhere deep within her, Ladybug felt Tikki’s presence stir, and yet she could not bring herself to listen. She could not believe what was right in front of her. All this time, and he had always been right in front of her. It had always been him, and she never realized, not for a second. 

She didn’t know him at all. 

“I’m sorry,” Ladybug said tearfully, backing up to the window. “I can’t.”

Adrien started after her. “No, wait—”

But Ladybug was out the window and long gone.

* * *

 

Adrien could not believe what had just happened. Ladybug, the strongest, fiercest, most loyal person he knew, had run away. 

From him.

He fell to his knees, trembling. Plagg was saying something, but Adrien didn’t hear him. All he could hear were those sad, condemning words Ladybug had left him with before fleeing like she could not bear to be in the same room as him for another second. 

She didn’t trust him. 

After everything they had been through, all the years holding each other up, saving Paris, fighting every akuma Hawk Moth threw at them, facing every day together rain or shine, it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. She had rejected Chat Noir time and again, and he could live with that because Chat Noir was just a mask. But Adrien was him—inescapable, immutable, inconsolable. 

And she didn’t trust him.

“Queen Bee!” Fu said. 

Adrien looked up just in time to see her leap out the same window through which Ladybug had exited. Plagg zipped to the window and watched her go, then flew at Adrien’s face. 

“What’re you doing on the floor, kid? Get up! We have to go after them!” he said. 

Adrien just stared numbly at his kwami. He could not think of a single good reason why he should chase Queen Bee, let alone Ladybug. They had both made their disappointment in his identity crystal clear. 

“Plagg is right,” Fu said. “You should go after them, and hurry, before it’s too late.”

“Why?” Adrien said. 

Plagg snarled. “Because even though you’re right that keeping your secret would cause the greater harm at this point, that doesn’t mean revealing it wouldn’t hurt Ladybug at all.”

“Plagg…”

“Get up. We’re going, _now_.”

* * *

 

Ladybug raced across the rooftops. She didn’t care where she ended up, only that it was as far away from Fu’s place as possible. But her trip was cut short when she heard an ominous whistling sound she recognized all too well. Swinging hard on her yo-yo, she narrowly avoided being snagged by Queen Bee’s spinning top and skidded to a stop on an empty rooftop. Far below, a few cars sped along the streets despite the late hour, and city lights made the city glow. Queen Bee stood opposite her, panting hard. 

“Get out of my way,” Ladybug said, brandishing her yo-yo.

“Oh my god, just _stop_ already!” Queen Bee spat. 

“ _Me_? You honestly think this is somehow my fault?”

“I think you’re being a fucking coward!” She laughed derisively. “God, how could I have been so stupid? How could I have not seen this coming?”

“What’re you talking about?”

“You! Marinette Dupain-Cheng! You hide behind that mask not because it makes you stronger, but because you’re afraid. And I _believed in you_. You took away my hero.”

Ladybug was so taken aback that she had no words. She had not thought Queen Bee’s words could hold so much power over her, but she had been dead wrong. 

“I told her things,” Queen Bee whispered like she was ashamed. “You things… I told her about my mom—I told her about _you_ , for fucking hell. And you took her away.”

“Bee, I…”

“And you know what? Fine, whatever. I’ve been let down by people way more important than you could ever be. I’m used to it. But Adrien…” She wiped her eyes furiously. “Your power is Creation, but all you do is destroy. He’ll be the one to suffer in the end, like he always does.”

“That’s not fair,” Ladybug said, unable to summon the courage to believe her own words. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

“Well, it did! And what do you do? You take and take, and you run away. Ladybug…” Queen Bee watched her strangely. “Ladybug doesn’t exist. And neither does Queen Bee. You and I… We’re just pretending.”

Queen Bee’s face blurred behind Ladybug’s tears. 

_Don’t say that._

_Don’t let it be true._

“It’s not pretend,” Ladybug said in a small, defeated voice. “Ladybug is a hero.”

_She’s my hero._

“Not to me. Not anymore.”

Queen Bee turned her back and disappeared into the night. Ladybug knew she had to go after her, but her feet remained rooted to the spot. Somewhere deep inside, she could feel Tikki’s essence crying out, pleading with her to fix this, but Ladybug did not know how. For all her magic, she had never had much luck repairing what she had ruined herself. 

“Marinette?”

Ladybug whirled and found Chat Noir perched on the railing, eyes wide and unseeing as he watched her. The sight of him made her heart sink as she realized he must have been standing there the whole time. He had heard everything, and he knew her for the sad, mediocre excuse for a teenager she really was behind the mask. 

“Chat, please,” she said, reaching for him. “I-I can explain—”

But he recoiled from her. Ladybug had broken Chat Noir’s heart many times, but he had never broken hers until this moment. She remembered Queen Bee’s warning as she saw the hurt in his eyes. Was that her doing? Was it all a farce in the end? 

_Are we just pretending?_

She couldn’t bear to break anymore. 

Without another word, she turned on her heel and ran from him.

* * *

 

Sundays were for shopping in the Rossi household. Without fail, every Sunday afternoon the family of three would go to a specialty Italian market downtown, purchase ingredients for the week’s meals, and indulge at their favorite _gelatería_ before heading home for dinner. 

Stefano would hold Gia’s hand as they sampled prepared foods at the market, and they would greet other families they had known for years. Gia would smile and preen, while Stefano regaled their friends with stories that never failed to entertain. He was an entertainer at heart, the very best of them. Lila had watched him all her life, learned his tricks and tells, and made them her own. No one wore a mask better than her father, but that was also his greatest weakness. Oftentimes, he fooled even himself. 

But that was the difference between father and daughter. Stefano was Narcissus enamored of his own reflection, and that conviction bewitched all around him. There was magic in charm, but there was also danger. Lila was more careful. Where Stefano watched only himself, she only watched those around her, intuitive and calculating. The only person she could never afford to deceive was herself. 

“Oh, _amore_ , isn’t that Marina by the tomatoes there?” Gia asked as they finished paying at the meat counter. 

“Hm? No, I don’t think so,” Stefano said. “Look, there’s the fish counter. I’ll check if they have scallops today.”

“ _Ciao_ , Marina!” Lila called, smiling brightly and waving. “Over here!”

“See, it is her,” Gia said, looping her arm through Stefano’s. “How could you not recognize your own assistant?”

Marina wandered over with her basket. She was alone, and she smiled nervously. Lila took her hand and kissed her cheek. 

“Marina, you look beautiful as always,” Lila gushed. 

“O-Oh, thank you, Lila. It’s nice to see you.” She nodded to Stefano and Gia. “Mrs. Rossi, Stefano…”

Stefano picked at his stubble, a nervous habit. Lila watched him like a hawk. 

“Marina, hello. I didn’t think we would run in to you on our usual Sunday shopping trip,” he said casually. 

“Yes, um, I was invited to a dinner party, so it was all very last-minute…”

Gia smiled politely. “Well, it’s lovely to see you, Marina.”

“Why don’t you join us for gelato?” Lila offered. “We always go after shopping.”

“Lila, please, I’m sure Marina has to get home to cook for her party,” Stefano said. 

“Surely she can spare a few minutes. It’s the best gelato in Paris.”

“I heard André’s was the best in Paris,” Marina hedged. 

“Maybe for the French, but _Zafferano_ ’s is authentic,” Gia said proudly. 

Marina accompanied the Rossi family for gelato, though she hid her discomfort rather poorly in Lila’s opinion. Gia did not seem to notice as she asked Marina about her dinner plans like two old friends catching up. 

Stefano and Lila walked together behind the two women with their stracciatella and pistachio. 

“Marina is probably busy. She doesn’t want to spend time with her boss on her day off,” Stefano said. 

“Marina seems like the type who’s always happy to spend time with her boss,” Lila said. 

He peered at her askance and set his jaw. “I’m only thinking of your mother.”

Lila smiled. “I’m sure you’re always thinking about her. So am I.”

“ _Non fare la stronza, carina. Ti metterai in imbarazzo._ ”

Lila took a bite of gelato. “Speak for yourself, Dad.”

Stefano narrowed his eyes. He tossed his half-eaten gelato cup in a bin and broke up Gia and Marina with some excuse that the family needed to be getting home, and he would see Marina at work on Monday. 

Lila asked her mother if she could stay out a bit longer to finish her gelato, and Gia agreed. 

“Not too late, honey. I’ll be making a nice saltimbocca tonight.”

“I won’t be long, Mom. See you at home.”

Lila’s smile faded as soon as her parents turned their backs, and she watched them go. Her gelato was melted, and she had lost her appetite. An hour by herself was just what she would need to clear her head after the forced family time.

Lila hated Sundays.

With no plans, she wandered down the street and window shopped. She debated calling some friends from school, but ultimately decided against it. She didn’t have the energy for a protracted performance today. 

Inevitably, her thoughts wandered to Adrien’s party the other day and how it had been ruined by a surprise akuma attack. Even though Paris’s masked heroes had put a stop to the killer clown, the experience left Lila deeply unsettled, as it had everyone else who had witnessed the episode. She had never seen anyone die before. What was Hawk Moth thinking? Sure, a casualty or two was not unheard of in all the years of his activity trying to steal Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s Miraculous, but not like this. Lila did not remember much of her time as Volpina, but she remembered thinking that the guy who wanted to put an end to Ladybug could not be so bad. To Paris, Ladybug might be a hero worthy of praise and love, but Lila knew the truth. 

Ladybug was nothing but a jealous, conceited girl willing to humiliate those weaker than herself just to prop herself up for a boy she liked. She was no hero, she was just pretending. 

At least Chat Noir was earnest. Dumb, but earnest. Queen Bee seemed like kind of a bitch, but with a name like that, Lila imagined she would have to be. 

_Some heroes._

Kagami, however, had surprised her, and Lila was not often surprised. When everyone had been understandably terrified of the clown and unable to do much but scream and run, Kagami had been fearless. She even went so far as to attack the akuma directly while Chat Noir was incapacitated. Kagami may have been kind of an asshole, but no one could call her a coward.

The afternoon slipped away from Lila, and she wandered a bit farther than she had meant to go. She was no longer in the ritzier part of the Italian quarter, and it showed in the quality of the shops and restaurants she passed. Scoffing, she pulled out her phone and decided to call a ride share before someone decided she would be an easy target for a mugging. She ducked in the nearest shop to order a car and avoid any unwanted attention. 

It was some kind of junk store by the looks of it. The aisles were packed to bursting with paraphernalia of everything under the sun, from bootleg DVDs to cherubic, porcelain figurines like the kind grandmas would collect by the hundreds. She wandered aimlessly down the aisles, only half paying attention as she waited the ten minutes it would take her ride to arrive. A skinny man behind the counter didn’t even look at her from behind his newspaper. He sniffled, loud and wet, and Lila made a face. She moved to a different part of the store as far away from his as she could get. 

There were a couple other patrons interested in a collection of electronics. Lila glanced at the clearly used Apple products and rolled her eyes. Everything in this store was either counterfeit or stolen, without a doubt. 

A glass display case shoved in the corner was full of various pieces of jewelry, from the gaudy to the downright heinous all lumped together without rhyme or reason. She eyed them with disinterest; no way she would ever put anything from a store like this on her body. 

But something caught her eye, and she was arrested with a feeling of déjà vu. She stared at the necklace on display, hardly believing her eyes. 

_It couldn’t be…_

But it was, or appeared to be so. Sitting forgotten in a dusty display case was an amber and mother-of-pearl necklace in the shape of a curling will-o-wisp, a piece she recognized as easily as her own reflection. 

“The Fox Miraculous,” she said, incredulous. 

Her next thought was that it was too good to be true. It had to be a knock off, surely. Most likely, someone had noticed the shape of her akumatized necklace from the newscasts and decided to make some quick money selling akuma paraphernalia. There were probably hundreds just like it out there, all cheaply made and completely powerless. 

As soon as she had the thought, however, she knew it was wrong. Because in the case just next to the Fox Miraculous were two other pieces she vaguely recognized, ones she had seen in a strange book that belonged to the endearingly naïve Adrien Agreste: a sunstone choker and a pink pearl bracelet.

Lila scrolled through the Photos app on her phone until she came to the album she had hastily snapped that day. Pictures of people dressed in colorful masks and wearing odd jewelry flashed before her—the fox, the bee, the black cat.

The rooster and the pig. 

There they were in watercolor, the sunstone choker and the pink pearl bracelet. Lila held the phone next to the case, but there was no denying the resemblance. 

She began to tremble. 

The other patrons left the store without purchasing anything, and the man behind the desk grumbled to himself, displeased. Lila discreetly put away her phone and composed herself. There would be time to scream later. Right now, she had to put on a show. But first, an ATM. 

The pawn shop clerk was as easy as they came, charmed by her looks and her newly withdrawn stack of bills. As predicted, he did not want any record of the transaction, and he was very happy to sell her the three Miraculous for the low, low price of his ignorance as to their true nature. 

The moment Lila got home, she feigned a headache and asked to be excused from dinner, which Stefano was happy to oblige. Tomorrow, everything would be back as it was. Lila and her father had an unspoken arrangement—he would forgive her lies so long as she would forgive his. After all, they both truly were only thinking of her mother.

Lila locked herself in her room, dumped out the plastic bag with the three pieces of jewelry each in their own cardboard box, and immediately tore into the one containing the coveted Fox Miraculous. 

She gave herself a moment before she touched it. 

“This is real,” she reassured herself. 

Somehow, by some stoke of fate or luck or maybe both, she had ended up with the real Fox Miraculous like she had always known she deserved. She smiled at the memory of her conversation with Adrien and Ladybug, how she had bragged that she was descended from a past wielder of the Fox Miraculous. The best lies were simply truths in disguise, and this truth was rightfully hers. 

“This belongs to me.” 

She picked up the Fox Miraculous and closed her eyes, waiting. 

But nothing happened. 

Lila tried putting the necklace on. Maybe she needed to don it properly to trigger the transformation. Still nothing. Frustrated but not yet willing to give up, she checked the photos on her phone and examined the page with the Fox hero. The text was nothing she could read, maybe an ancient language or some kind of code. But it was clear enough that the transformative power came from wearing the enchanted jewelry. 

Why wasn’t it working? Was it a fake after all? But the coincidence of the other two Miraculous displayed with it was too strong. There were no coincidences, besides. There were only people and the rules they were willing to break to get what they wanted. 

Lila tore the necklace from her neck in a moment of blind rage and threw it on her bed. Ladybug, yes, this was Ladybug’s fault. If she hadn’t humiliated Lila back then, none of this would be happening. She wouldn’t be in this situation, angry and alienated and inadequate. What was wrong with her that some stupid necklace didn’t work for her? This was in her blood, she _knew_ it. She was meant for this. 

And yet, nothing. She wanted to scream. She wanted to break something, really dig her nails into something soft and perfect and rip it to shreds. The closest things were the other boxes holding the Pig and Rooster Miraculous, so she tore into them with abandon. The jewelry went flying, the pearl bracelet to her pillow and the choker under her desk among the computer cords and wires. Annoyed, Lila dragged herself out of bed and got down on all fours to fish it out. It was tangled up in her MacBook power cord, but she managed to yank it free. A dust mite flew into her nose and she sneezed, hitting her head on her desk. 

“ _Cazzo_ ,” she swore, rubbing her head. 

Her hand began to glow, and for a second she just stared blankly, uncomprehending. Until she realized it was the choker’s gilded sunstone creating the light, and she lost her breath. The glow rose from her palm and assumed the shape of a small, bobble-headed creature. He was covered in orange feathers with a magnificent crest on his head and two dark, vacuous eyes that saw right through her. 

“You, Sunshine, have a filthy mouth,” the tiny, floating rooster said. 

Lila launched backwards against her bed and screamed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! Don’t know if anyone has ever given Lila the Rooster Miraculous before, but I thought it was much better suited to her than the Fox Miraculous for this particular fic. Even if Rena Rouge isn’t in this fic, I can’t imagine anyone but Alya wielding Trixx. And Orikko’s design is super cute. I have a lot of ideas for this duo, so stay tuned…
> 
> Meanwhile, Marinette’s life is a dumpster fire, as usual. I thought a very long time about how a realistic reveal could go and what it would mean for two people who know each other rather intimately without actually knowing each other at all. I think it would be a disaster, to be honest. The crux of almost all relationship problems is the lack of communication, as our heroes are slowly and painfully figuring out. Anyway, I mentioned that this is not a Reveal Fic in the sense you might be used to. The reveal is done, and I’m far more interested in the aftermath, which I think would be dysfunctional and sad to an extent, rather than joyful and silly. At least, in the beginning. A lot can and will change. Let me know what you think in the comments! :)


	6. Out of Darkness

Marinette spent the rest of the weekend dreading Monday. Her phone had become a source of abject terror as she waited for the inevitable phone call from Adrien demanding an explanation. But it never came. No phone call, no text, nothing at all. This was somehow even worse than the thought of him angry with her. Why wouldn’t he be angry? She would be in his shoes if she discovered that the perfect hero she idolized and fawned over was none other than mediocre, bashful, vanilla Marinette. 

Anxiety confined her mostly to her room that weekend. She could barely summon an appetite for family meals. Her bed became her sanctuary and her prison as she wasted the days in her pajamas in dreamless sleep, only to lie awake at night with her gnawing imagination. 

What if he wasn’t angry at all? What if he just did not care? Ladybug was Chat Noir’s partner, but Marinette wasn’t anything like that to Adrien. A friend at best, if even that. Friends were supposed to trust each other and share secrets about themselves, but Marinette and Adrien had never done anything like that. Even last summer during her internship, their conversations were mostly about work, fashion, and plans for senior year. Nothing too personal, always polite, always a little bit guarded. He was nice to her, like he was nice to everyone. 

What if…

_What if he doesn’t want to be my partner anymore?_

The thought filled Marinette with a particularly chilling dread. The idea of being Ladybug without Chat Noir had never even crossed her mind. He had always been there since the beginning. She had never been Ladybug without Chat Noir. In a way, Chat Noir was the reason she could be Ladybug. But without him? She was just Marinette. 

_“Ladybug doesn’t exist.”_

Marinette buried her face in her pillow as Chloe’s hurtful words hounded her still. It was here that Tikki, who had been patient and quiet all weekend with her understandably distraught Chosen decided to intervene. 

“I don’t think you’ll get any answers from your pillow, Marinette,” she said. 

Marinette groaned and turned over. “Not now, Tikki. Please.”

Tikki sighed and hovered over her face. “It’s been two days. I don’t want to upset you, but you can’t hide in here forever.”

“Watch me.”

Instead of answering, Tikki retrieved Marinette’s phone from the trashcan by her desk and dangled it by its grinning cat-shaped strap charm. “Alya’s been texting you. Why don’t you give her a call? It would be good for you to talk to a friend.”

About what? Alya did not know Marinette’s secret, meaning she could not help her deal with literally anything unless Marinette outed herself as Ladybug. The last thing she needed was yet another person she cared about reeling over the revelation to unpredictable conclusions. 

It struck her then that she truly had no one to talk to. No one but Tikki, who wasn’t even human, and possibly Master Fu, who would probably just tell her to give Adrien a chance. She had run like a coward from the only person in the world she may have been able to talk to, and he was part of the problem. 

Marinette averted her gaze. “I’m sorry, but I just want to be alone.”

Tikki set the phone down on the bed and took a seat on the pillow next to Marinette’s nose. “I’ve left you alone all weekend. I won’t tell you how to feel, but I will say this. Every Ladybug before you has been where you are now, and every one of them has managed to pull through it.”

Marinette felt tears welling in her eyes. “What if I can’t?”

“You can.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re my Chosen. You can’t give up your hope, Marinette. It’s what makes you strong. It’s what makes you Ladybug.”

But Chloe’s accusatory words stung despite Tikki’s reassurances. “What if it’s all pretend?”

Tikki cast a sympathetic figure most of the time. Marinette would even call her cute, if bugs could be considered cute. But there was an otherness to Tikki that reminded Marinette of old photographs—straight on they looked normal and innocuous, but a closer look illuminated shadows not immediately seen, tricks of the light, ominous in their near-invisibility. She seemed to exude the gravity of a being much larger, much more than her tiny body let on. It was a constant, sometimes unpleasant reminder that Tikki was not entirely knowable, and perhaps not entirely what she seemed. Gods, Marinette supposed, never were.

“What Chloe said to you was out of hurt and anger,” Tikki said, her tone taking a firmer cadence. “It doesn’t excuse her, but you can’t let her words rule you.”

“Even if she’s right?”

“She’s not. Not about you, and not about herself, either.”

_Then why did Chat recoil from me?_

Something in Marinette’s expression must have given away her pain, because Tikki’s expression softened. She looked like herself again. “I don’t know Chloe well, but I do know Pollen. Her power is Subjection, the power to control and command others. She only Chooses the most courageous to wield her power, because only a heart whose true essence is valor can inspire others in the face of fear. 

“But the power of Subjection can also tap into the cruelty in people’s hearts. Insolence can make them strong, but it will also alienate those around them. I’ve seen Pollen’s Chosen fail because they had no one to support them. But I’ve also seen them enable great victories because others stood with them and helped them remember what we fought for.”

“What are you saying? That it’s my job suddenly to fix Chloe’s bad attitude?”

“No, only Chloe can make the effort to improve herself. But a little help goes a long way.” Tikki touched her nose and smiled, and Marinette felt a warm spark of magic pass between them that instantly relaxed her aching muscles and tense shoulders. “I Chose you because your heart’s true essence is hope, and hope is meant to be shared. You may be surprised how far a little hope can take you if you only let it.”

Marinette sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “I guess it’s hard to feel hopeful about anything right now.” 

“I know. But I think you’re pretty amazing, you know? There’s no Ladybug without Marinette. Everything will be okay, you’ll see.”

Despite herself, Marinette smiled. “If you say so.” She rubbed her eyes and checked the clock—past 4 p.m. on Sunday. Monday would be here all too soon, and then… She shuddered at the thought of encountering Adrien or Chloe at school. 

But Tikki had a point. She couldn’t hide in here forever wallowing in self-pity. Marinette might be forgiven for moping around like a sullen seventeen-year-old girl, but Ladybug had a responsibility to the people of Paris. Maybe it was time to focus on that for a change. 

Tikki was surprised when Marinette vaulted out of bed, threw open her narrow closet, and pulled out a change of clothes. “Marinette?”

“You’re right, Tikki. I can’t stay in here forever.”

“Oh, well, I’m glad you agree. Did you have somewhere specific you wanted to go?”

Marinette pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, nothing fancy. She did not want to waste too much time when visiting hours were likely limited. “Yeah. We’re going to visit the latest akumatized victim. Spots on!”

Not long after, Ladybug arrived at the hospital where Valentin was being looked after. She attracted much attention as the city’s resident superhero, but today it worked in her favor when the hospital staff happily obliged her request to look in on the sleeping little boy. She had been the one to save him, after all. 

Valentin was being held in the pediatrics wing, a nurse explained to Ladybug as she led her through the blanched hospital hallways. Unlike the main hospital, the pediatrics ward was bedecked with children’s clumsy but colorful artwork, pictures of cute animals, and other kid-friendly images meant to soothe the sick and the scared. 

“What’s going on in there?” Ladybug asked. 

“Oh, that’s the sleep medicine center,” the nurse explained as they passed a room filled with several families. Doctors in lab coats spoke to parents in hushed tones, while children as young as toddlers sat in a small playpen enjoying the hospital-issued toys. 

“Like for sleeping disorders?”

“Yes, all kinds. Children and their vivid imaginations, you know.”

Ladybug slowed to observe. An older girl, maybe nine or ten, looked up at her wide-eyed and disbelieving. She smiled for the girl. “There’s a lot of kids in there.”

“Night terrors are common in young children, but they’re entirely treatable.”

“Sounds scary for the kids.”

“It can be, poor dears.” The nurse cast her a warm smile over her shoulder, the subject forgotten. “Valentin’s room is just up ahead, Ladybug. This way.”

Valentin had a room to himself, cramped but cozy. Someone had brought fresh flowers and a stuffed bear to keep him company. 

“Technically, visiting hours are over, but his mother consented to your dropping in, of course,” the nurse explained. “He’s been sleeping quite a lot since he arrived here. Nothing to do but to let him rest until he’s well enough to leave on his own.”

Ladybug approached Valentin’s sleeping form. He looked peaceful, just a little boy who’d tuckered himself out. She ran her gloved fingers over his short, texturized hair. “Was something wrong with him?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary. The doctor says the akumatization likely weakened him physically, but he should make a full recovery.”

_Odd_ , Ladybug thought. _My magic should have restored him fully to normal._

Kids were rarely akumatized, though, and never the way Valentin had been. Perhaps the akuma possessing his actual body had a different effect than if it had merely possessed an object. 

“Would it be all right if I had some time alone with him?” Ladybug asked. 

“Of course, take all the time you need.”

The nurse left to give her some privacy, and Ladybug discreetly locked the door. 

“Spots off.”

Tikki hovered over Valentin’s sleeping form. 

“Well?” Marinette asked. 

“I’m not sure.” Tikki touched Valentin’s cheek. “I can’t feel anything wrong with him.”

“Then why isn’t he back to normal?”

Marinette’s question hung in the air. She stared at Valentin, thoughtful. 

“Whatever the problem is, it has to do with the odd akuma,” Tikki said.

Just the thought of that killer clown coming at her and poor Valentin with a mallet made Marinette shiver. If she closed her eyes, she could picture its fanged face parting, as if it meant to tear into her like a juicy roast. 

_Not me, Valentin._

“That’s right, the clown was calling Valentin’s name,” Marinette remembered. “That’s kind of weird, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so. They usually grandstand a bit more.”

“In fact, the clown only ever said Valentin’s name and nothing else. Like it was obsessed with getting him and…” 

_Eating him?_

She made a face at the gross thought. If the clown had been Valentin’s nightmare, wouldn’t it have ceased to exist if Valentin—and the akuma possessing him—was destroyed? Akumas had been known to do outrageous things in the past, but none had ever been suicidal. It always came down to taking Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s Miraculous. 

_The clown didn’t even go for my Miraculous, though._

“I hope Nooroo is all right,” Tikki said sadly. “I don’t know what’s going on with Hawk Moth, but I have a bad feeling we haven’t seen the last of this new kind of akuma.”

If that was the case, then they would need a way to deal with them without any more innocent people being brutally killed in the process. “That reminds me,” Marinette said. “When I purified the akuma, I didn’t do it like I normally do. Honestly, I didn’t think it would work, but I was desperate.”

Tikki smiled encouragingly. “Of course it worked. The magic bends to your will, not the other way around.”

“You mean, I could always pull the magic out of my yo-yo like that?”

“Of course! The yo-yo is just a conduit, like your Lucky Charm. The real magic lies within.”

Tikki pressed a hand to Marinette’s heart, and she felt the beat reverberate down to her toes. “I didn’t realize…”

“The conduit makes it easier for you to wield the magic, but it’s not required. You can wield it however you like.”

“However I like…?” Marinette gazed at Valentin sleeping soundly. His face was drawn with exhaustion, his chest rising as if each shallow breath was a struggle against some invisible weight. She laid a hand on his chest, but felt only his fluttering heartbeat through his shirt. “I’d like to help him, but I don’t know how.”

“I can’t tell you how,” Tikki said, contrite. “It’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. Even I’m just a conduit in this form.”

A knock on the door. “Ladybug? Everything all right in there?”

“Yes,” Marinette said. “I’ll be right out.”

She quickly transformed once more and cast Valentin a final, longing gaze. 

_I’ll find a way to help you, I promise._

Even if Marinette’s life was falling apart at the seams, Ladybug still had a job to do. Problems with Chat Noir and Queen Bee could be dealt with later; for now, Hawk Moth was still out there. She would stick with the devil she knew.

* * *

 

“We’re here,” announced the Gorilla from the driver’s seat. 

Adrien glanced out the tinted window of his car but didn’t get out. Students filed into the building, some dashing to beat the morning bell, others waiting for friends to catch up on the weekend’s events. He searched the familiar faces, passing over each one without much thought, before he caught himself. 

Black hair, blue eyes, a splash of signature pink. He was looking for Marinette without even realizing it. 

“Adrien, did you hear me?” The Gorilla looked back at him from the driver’s seat.

In his jacket pocket, Plagg nipped Adrien’s thumb. He stifled a gasp. “What? Yeah, sorry. Just spacing…”

The Gorilla said nothing as Adrien got out and slung his book bag over his shoulder. 

“Pull it together, kid,” Plagg hissed from his pocket. 

“Easy for you to say.” Adrien dragged his feet toward the steps to the main building, barely able to bring himself to smile and wave at passing students. Some tried to stop him and ask about his birthday and the akuma attack, but he brushed past them as politely as he could. When he made it inside, he ducked behind a column and Plagg phased out of his pocket.

“You have to face her eventually,” Plagg said. “No more dogging out like you did all weekend.”

Adrien made a face. “You mean, pussing out? Also, I _wasn’t_ —”

“You _were_ , and no, I mean dogging out. Cats are the most powerful creatures in this world, you’re welcome.” He gestured at himself as though he were the reason for cats. “You humans are just too easily intimidated.”

Adrien briefly considered telling Plagg it had nothing to do with cats and everything to do with misogyny and the fragile male ego, but the bell was going to ring at any minute and there was no time to get into an argument with a talking cat god.

“I know I have to face her,” he said instead, grabbing Plagg and stuffing him back into his jacket pocket. “But she’s not here yet, so it can wait.”

Plagg protested, but Adrien’s fist muffled the words. He headed upstairs to Miss Bustier’s classroom to start the day. 

“Oof!” 

Adrien snatched the railing before he could take a nosedive down the stairs and blindly caught the arm of he person he’d run into. 

“I’m so sorry,” he said automatically. 

“It’s fine,” Lila said, rubbing her shoulder.

Adrien released her elbow as he tried to catch his breath. That had been very close to the stairs. Lila seemed to have the same thought as she looked up at him. 

“Nice cat reflexes,” she said, smirking. “I guess I should thank you for saving my life just now.”

“Huh? Oh, it was nothing…” 

She smiled and flipped her hair, and Adrien was immediately drawn to the choker around her neck. She touched the small, amber jewel in its center. 

“You like it? It’s new,” she said proudly. 

“Uh, yeah, it’s a good color on you.” Adrien hoped that didn’t sound as lame to her as it did to him. His heart was still racing from nearly falling down a flight of stairs. 

Lila giggled. “It is, isn’t it?”

The bell rang, and Kim dashed up the stairs. “Comin’ through, my dudes!”

The last of the stragglers filed into the classroom, Lila and Adrien among them. Instinctively, Adrien immediately looked to Marinette’s seat expecting to find it empty, but she was already seated and attentively scribbling a note in her planner. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.

_Ladybug,_ he almost blurted aloud. 

For a moment he thought he had blurted it out, because she looked up and met his gaze. For a split second, they were the only two people in the world. He was naked under that intense, blue stare, the same one that watched his back every day in class. Except now, he saw _her_ , too. 

Before Adrien had the chance to so much as open his mouth, Marinette returned her focus to her planner as if she hadn’t noticed him at all. Bewildered, Adrien stood there like an idiot and stared at her bent head. 

“You’re late, Chloe,” Miss Bustier chided. 

“Next time I’ll be sure to take the _express_ helicopter,” Chloe grumbled. 

She looked exhausted as she trudged past Adrien, like she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep all weekend. The way she sank into her lone seat across the aisle from him made him wonder if she really hadn’t. He cast her a wan smile, and she held his gaze. Unlike Marinette, she did not immediately look away as if she wanted to pretend he didn’t exist. 

Unfortunately, Adrien could not shake the crawling sensation on the back of his neck all morning. He could practically feel Marinette’s eyes watching him, but every time he glanced back at her, she was diligently focused on taking her lecture notes. By the third glance back, he was beginning to feel annoyed. 

Maybe Plagg had a point. He was tired of dogging out.

When the bell rang, Adrien quickly gathered his things as Miss Bustier announced that a progress report on the group project would be due by the end of the week. The announcement was met with groans, including Nino’s. 

“Crap, we’ve barely started!” he said as Adrien rose from his chair. “Hey, Alya, okay if we crash your place today to do some research for—Adrien! Dude wait, where are you going?”

But Adrien didn’t stick around as he raced out the door after Marinette, who dashed out of the classroom faster than he’d ever seen her go. She was already halfway down the stairs when Adrien made it out of the classroom. 

“Marinette!” he shouted after her. 

She ignored him. 

“Go after her!” Plagg hissed from his pocket. 

Adrien did his best to weave around the other students as he descended the stairs, but Marinette was nearly at the bottom ahead of the rush. He was going to miss his chance unless he did something drastic. 

Drawing inspiration from Lila’s earlier comment, Adrien grabbed the railing and vaulted over it. The drop from halfway up the staircase was not a big one, and even in his human form he retained some measure of Chat Noir’s cat-like reflexes and grace as he landed deftly on his feet. For a split second, he felt like a goddamned champion as Marinette and the other students in the vicinity stopped in their tracks to gawk at his Edgy Coolness.

Until his hastily-packed bag slipped and dumped all his books and papers onto the floor. Marinette opened her mouth and reached out like she meant to help, and any other day she may have been overjoyed to lend him a hand. But not today. She turned her back and stalked off. 

“Wait, Marinette!” Adrien scrambled to stuff his books back in his bag.

She’d gone outside, and Adrien had to run to catch up to her. It looked like she was leaving campus entirely. 

“Marinette, wait up!” 

Ignore. Adrien nearly yardsaled again when he tripped over a crack in the sidewalk sprinting after her.

“Marinette!”

Still ignoring. She was about to cross the street. The walk signal turned green, and she took off. 

Desperate, Adrien lunged and grabbed her wrist. “My lady!” 

Marinette whirled, and there was a fury in her eyes Adrien had never seen before. He grew instantly warm under her incandescent glare and did not resist when she pulled her wrist from his grasp. “Are you crazy? What if someone heard you call me that?”

Adrien was so shocked that she was actually speaking to him, looking at him, that he stared dumbly and managed only an oh-so-eloquent “Uh…”

Marinette’s expression fell as she reigned in her ire and surprise. In a detached, neutral voice she said, “Never mind. I have to get going, so please excuse me.”

Adrien found his voice and grabbed her wrist again. “Wait, please, I’m so sorry.”

Marinette balled the fist he held, but she did not pull away this time. Adrien saw his chance. 

“I’m sorry,” he said again, calmer. “Marinette, I’m…” What? _You’re what, Agreste?_ “I should have called.”

She looked up at him with those luminous, blue eyes he had lost himself in a thousand times before, never knowing they were hers all this time. Gently, she pried her wrist from his fingers again. “I can’t do this right now.”

“You can’t…”

She glanced at the walk signal. It began to flash in warning. She stepped into the crosswalk. “It’s a bad time. I have to go.”

Adrien was moving before he could think about it. He dashed in front of her in the middle of the crosswalk. “Go? But we have class.”

“I have a free period.”

“Then you have time to talk to me.”

Cars honked at them to get out of the road. Marinette tried to slip by him, but he blocked her path. 

“No, I don’t. I just said it’s a bad time, okay?” she said. 

“I think it’s always going to be a bad time until we actually talk about it.”

The cars honked and honked, and one driver rolled down his window and shouted for them to get out of the road. 

“Please move,” she said. 

Adrien ignored the angry drivers honking them as he stared at Marinette like he did not recognize her at all. Why was she being so calm? So disaffected? With the way she had literally run from him— _twice_ —he was sure she would be steamed at him. He’d been ready for anger, ready for tears even. He was ready to chase her all over Paris if it came to it, but this? 

“Marinette…” He reached for her, but she stepped out of reach. 

“I don’t have time for you right now.” 

The driver who had yelled at them before got out of his car and looked ready to physically remove the two of them from the road. He didn’t make it two steps when people began screaming all at once and more people got out of their cars. A shadow passed over Adrien and Marinette. 

“What is _that_?” Adrien said. 

An amorphous, black cloud materialized out of nowhere above them. It grew quickly from the size of a bowling ball to half a city block, and it quivered. A strange word to describe it, but Adrien got the crawling sensation that it was alive somehow, not an ordinary cloud. 

No, not quivering— _slithering._

As soon as he had the thought, the cloud began descending to Earth. Marinette was already moving and dragging him with her. 

“Run!” she shouted to no one in particular. 

And run they did for approximately eight seconds before the black cloud hit the street and the north end of campus with a physical force that shook the ground. Adrien lunged at Marinette and rolled with her in his arms to shield her from harm, and they crashed together in the bushes beneath a classroom window. 

Adrien held her tight, but she soon wriggled from his hold. His back ached, but the pain was manageable. He got to his feet and surveyed the scene. The black cloud had seeped into the ground like tar, and they had just barely missed its range. Not two meters from the bushes where they had landed, oily, black _things_ squirmed like dying snakes. 

“Don’t touch it!” Tikki exclaimed, flying out of Marinette’s purse. 

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Marinette said. She recovered quickly and scanned the area. 

People from the streets were on their feet and stumbling, as if severely drunk or disoriented. Students poured out of the building clamoring. 

“She wasn’t talking to you,” Plagg drawled. He bopped Adrien on the nose for good measure. 

“Hey!” Adrien said. 

“Oh no, all those people!” Marinette said. 

Bodies poured out from the school and shops across the street, curious. 

“There’s no time!” Tikki said. 

“Relax, Sugar Cube. I got this one,” Plagg said. 

Adrien made a grab for his wily kwami, but Plagg was as slippery as a stinky bar of soap and zipped to the edge of the coiling darkness. He raised a little paw and shouted, “Cataclysm!”

The largest, most destructive Cataclysm Adrien had ever seen raced across the sea of darkness. Unlike Chat Noir’s typical Cataclysm, Plagg’s did not merely disintegrate whatever it touched—it devoured it. As if a black hole had opened up in the middle of the school yard, Cataclysm sucked the tendrils of darkness into its belly and swallowed whole. 

But as before, even Cataclysm could not stop this enemy. A shadowy figure rose from the swath in defiance of Cataclysm and took a humanoid shape. Its arms tapered to long, pointed claws, and red eyes glimmered like smoke. Cataclysm converged on it, but no matter how much it consumed, more of the creature rose up and fortified against it until there was no more power left to give. In seconds, the black lake was nothing but a memory, and all its darkness was concentrated now on a creature roughly man-sized. Those caught in the cloud’s initial descent continued to stumble, only now Adrien could see them more clearly. 

_Their eyes…_

“Come on, Tikki,” Marinette said. “We have to stop that thing!”

“Marinette, wait!” Adrien said. 

“Catch up when Plagg’s recovered,” Tikki said. She cast a last glance at her counterpart, and then phased out of existence to catch up to Marinette. 

“Damnit.” Adrien snatched Plagg up and looked around. There was enough cover by this wall that he was pretty sure no one had seen the two kwamis, thank god. “What _was_ that?!”

Plagg wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow dramatically. “Me saving your mortal asses. You’re welcome. Now, where’s my cheese? I gotta eat something before you can transform.”

Adrien was full of questions and frustrations, not the least of which concerned Marinette running off _again_ , but there was no time. He tossed Plagg a small baggy with hard cheese he kept on his person at all times, and for once the mercurial kwami ate without a fuss. 

“Claws out!”

Chat Noir leaped from the cover of the shadows and shrubbery and raced after Marinette and Tikki. He did not get far amidst the sea of stumbling people crying and tripping over each other. 

“Help me!” shouted Aurore, a student Chat recognized from a different class. She would have tripped right into him if he hadn’t caught her. 

“Aurore?” Chat said, helping her stand properly. His voice cracked when he got a good look at her eyes. They were ringed in shadows as the skin cracked and crumbled like ashes. “Jesus…”

“Who’s that? Who are you? I-I can’t see anything!” Aurore wept. 

She wasn’t the only one. All around Chat, people wandered blindly, literally. Whatever that dark cloud had been, it had robbed everyone of their sight. 

“It’s okay, Aurore. I’m Chat Noir.” He brought her hand up to feel his leather cat ears. 

“Chat Noir? Oh, thank god!” She threw her arms around him before he could stop her.

Chat pried her off him gently. Others had heard her shout and wandered closer. 

“Chat Noir?”

“Everything’s dark, I can’t see!”

“I’m afraid…”

“Help us, Chat Noir!”

“Damnit,” Chat swore. With all these innocent people around and unable to fend for themselves, they were bound to get in the way and get themselves hurt or worse. 

“Stop right there!” Ladybug shouted at the shadowy akuma. She came in swinging with her yo-yo, but it passed right through the creature as if it were nothing but smoke. 

The creature took a swing at her, its claws growing cartoonishly long and sharp to extend its reach. Chat’s heart leaped into his throat as he watched Ladybug nearly get caught if not for her inhuman reflexes. The shadow creature’s claws separated from its body and went flying like bullets. They barely missed Ladybug, but a couple fleeing civilians across the street were not so lucky. The darkness struck them, and they fell to their knees screaming. It spread across their skin like slithering snakes until it gathered at their eyes. No matter how much they rubbed at their eyes, the darkness had settled and begun to eat away at their sight, just like with Aurore. 

The shadow creature howled and staggered among those already blinded. “Marcella!”

_Another nightmare akuma?_ Chat wondered.

It was bizarre enough that there was another akuma attack just days after the last one when in the past, Hawk Moth had never had less than a week’s turnaround between akumas. To employ the same type of akuma was unheard of.

Ladybug seemed to have the same idea as she took off in the direction of Dupont Elementary School. If a child was nearby having a nightmare, odds were good she was at the elementary school. Chat had to help her. 

“Ladybug, wait!” he called after her. 

But Aurore clung to him. “Please don’t leave me like this!”

Her tears were blackened with ashes, and she trembled in fright. Others were in a similar state as they gravitated toward Chat, unable to do much else. He wanted to help them, but he didn’t know how except to defeat the akuma. And if the last one was anything to go by, Ladybug was going to need all the help she could get. 

“I’m sorry, but I have to go after Ladybug—”

A loud crashing sound cut him off. Queen Bee’s top spun violently toward the shadow creature, tearing up grass and asphalt with abandon. It missed flattening any blind civilians just barely and collided with the shadow creature, dispersing it in a black cloud. 

“Where the hell is everybody?” Queen Bee shouted to be heard. 

“Stay here,” Chat said, prying Aurore off him one final time. 

“Wait, please!” 

But Aurore’s plea fell upon deaf ears as Chat sprinted to catch up with Queen Bee. 

“Bee!” Chat said just as the creature began to re-materialize. “Oh crap, look out!”

The shadow creature launched another shrapnel attack in all directions. Chat was airborne and lunged for Queen Bee, but he was too late. Instinctively, she jumped, but she caught a bullet of darkness in the back and cried out. 

“Bee!” Chat vaulted to her over the heads of other blinded civilians and crash-landed at her side. 

Blue eyes widened with surprise and alarm as she watched the shadows crawl over her super suit like a sentient force. “W-What—” 

She gasped in pain as the shadows slithered around her eyes and drowned them in darkness. The edges of her mask flaked and crumbled as though burned, and she rubbed her eyes furiously. “I-I can’t see! Why the fuck can’t I see?!”

“You’re okay,” Chat tried to reassure her. He tried to touch her, but she flinched at his touch. 

“The hell I am. I can’t _see_.” She covered her eyes with shaking hands.

Chat grabbed her wrist and watched in horror as the darkness slowly began to spread from her eyes to her temples. It was slowly consuming her from the inside out. 

“Oh shit…”

He looked around at some of the other victims afflicted by the initial dark cloud, and was horrified to see that in some of them, the darkness had spread down to their necks. Their cheeks flaked and peeled, as if they were nothing but scorched embers themselves. 

“What? You can’t just say ‘oh shit’ when I’m literally in the dark here!” Queen Bee hissed. “What’s happening?”

Chat swallowed. “I think this blindness is spreading.”

Queen Bee fell strangely still in his hold, and he immediately regretted his words. 

“It’s okay. Ladybug and I will stop the akuma—”

“Marcellaaaaaaa!” the shadow creature bellowed as a flood of screaming, crying school children scattered. Some ran on their own two feet, while others were pulled or carried by adults. 

Police sirens wailed and cops descended on the scene, but they were as baffled by the insidious creature and its blind-inducing darkness as Chat was. The sharp stench of rising panic and fear made Chat’s nose burn. Any longer, and they would have a mob on their hands. 

“Forget about Ladybug for one second! _I_ really need your help, and so do all these people!” Queen Bee said. 

There was an edge of panic to her voice that raised his hackles. Torn, Chat looked between where Ladybug was herding the young children and Queen Bee, helpless and blind and trying not to have a complete breakdown as her face slowly turned to ash. 

“Marcella…” the shadow creature said as it stalked slowly after fleeing people. 

_Damnit, of course she’s right._

He was Chat Noir, a hero of Paris. It was his duty to help those unable to help themselves. He just hoped he hadn’t cost all these people their safety for his moment of indecision. 

“Everyone, follow my voice!” he shouted to be heard. “I’m Chat Noir, and I’m going to lead you all to safety! Just follow the sound of my voice!”

He got up and helped Queen Bee to her feet as people stumbled over each other to follow him, a beacon of hope in their newly dark world. 

“I really thought you’d leave me for a minute there,” Queen Bee said as she hobbled alongside him, one arm out in front of her. 

If he were anyone else, he may not have picked up on the strain in her voice. But he heard it, and it broke his heart. “Chlo, I…”

“Just don’t let me trip and fall. My face is messed up enough as it is right now.”

Chat tightened his hold on her waist. “Not on my watch.”

Others surrounded them. Chat saw Aurore in the mix and grabbed her elbow to steady her. “Everyone, take the hand of the person next to you! We’re going to move together so nobody gets left behind!”

People scrambled to grab hands and waists and shoulders, anything at all to connect them to another person, and steadily they moved. It was working—he could hardly believe it. The streets and schoolyard were slowly clearing, leaving Ladybug the room she would need to keep the creature at bay until they could find Marcella and end her nightmare. Some police officers saw what Chat was trying to do and rushed to assist. 

No sooner had Chat and Queen Bee made it up the steps of Dupont High School than the situation went from bizarre to downright surreal as an unknown woman in a mask leaped from the roof of the school and landed ahead of the herd of blinded people. 

“ _Che casino_ ,” she said derisively. 

She wore a honey-colored super suit and wielded an ornate, gilded mirror large enough to double as a shield. A crest of orange feathers weaved through her long, brunette hair, and a short bustle train fell from her lower back reminiscent of jade tail feathers. Chat instantly knew he was looking at the magic of a Miraculous, which could only mean that Fu’s missing Miraculous had been pawned off as they had feared.

“Oh no,” Chat said. 

“Oh no, what?” Queen Bee demanded. “What’s happening?”

“I think it’s a new Miraculous wielder.”

Ladybug had noticed, too. “You! Get out of there!”

The new Miraculous wielder brandished her mirror shield. “Not a chance!”

Whatever their personal problems, Chat knew none of them mattered now that there was a dangerous akuma _and_ an unknown Miraculous wielder to contend with. “Bee, I think I should—”

“Just go,” she said gravely. “I know I’m useless like this. I’ll just get in the way.”

Despite himself, Chat did not like the way she said it. He squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll find you when this is over.”

Queen Bee said nothing to that, and Chat bounded off to help Ladybug, who now had a little girl in her arms as she ran from the hulking shadow creature. 

“Marcellaaaaa!”

“Back off!” Ladybug lashed out with her yo-yo, but it passed right through the creature, useless.

“My lady!” Chat shouted, staff poised to strike as he landed behind the creature. 

Ladybug whipped around. “Chat, the child!”

He understood well enough. If they had any hope of stopping this nightmare, Ladybug would need to extract the akuma from the little girl they way she had done with Valentine. 

“Incoming!” The Miraculous stranger swooped in and slammed her mirror into the shadow creature just as it made a swipe at more fleeing schoolchildren. She rolled to her feet gracefully and bought the terrified children precious seconds to escape toward the high school. 

Ladybug, now crouched over the sleeping Marcella as she sank her glowing, white hand into the child’s chest, glared. “Whoever you are, you can’t be here! You need to get to safety with the other civilians!”

The woman caught her own reflection in her mirror. “That’s funny, I don’t see any civilian here. I’m Gallina, Chosen by the Rooster Miraculous. I have every right to be here.” She touched the choker around her neck, its gem scintillating like a miniature sun. “You’re the one running away from the threat, Ladybug.”

“Excuse me?!”

The shadow creature was reforming in a whorl of buzzing darkness. Like a swarm of killer bees, its energy torpedoed around it, building, until Chat realized too late what it was doing. “It’s attacking again!”

Ladybug pulled the akuma from Marcella’s chest just as Gallina shielded herself with her mirror. Chat was flying through the air, Cataclysm tingling beneath his elongated nails as he prepared to tear the shadow creature asunder. But the darkness burst just as he connected with the creature, too fast and too heavy for Cataclysm to bury it all. Shadow bullets went flying, hitting screaming children and teachers, the ashen ground, and Gallina’s mirror. Miraculously, the mirror rebuffed the darkness without falling to its infection, and the bullets ricocheted. 

Ladybug rose, the black akuma in hand, just as the ricocheted bullets from Gallina’s mirror hit her. Chat landed in the shadow creature’s dust and screamed. 

“Ladybug!”

But it was too late. Her eyes were already turning black with night, and her mask lost its bloody sheen as it cracked. Gasping, she fell to her knees, the blighted akuma forgotten. 

Chat’s ring beeped a warning, and his heart sank.

Queen Bee was down for the count. He had used up Cataclysm and would be forced to revert before he could use it again. And Ladybug was blinded before she could purify the akuma, which fluttered haplessly without a host. Chat recalled the last time Ladybug had not purified an akuma, and he knew he could not let it escape like before. She would never forgive him then. 

Beneath his feet, the dust began to swirl. Slowly but surely, the shadow creature was reforming with a vengeance.

“The akuma’s getting away!” Gallina sprang to her feet and dashed after it.

“No, wait!” Chat said. The last thing he needed was an amateur Miraculous Chosen to watch out for on top of everything else.

“For what? Ladybug’s totally useless, so it’s up to me!”

He made to pursue her, but the shadow creature had pulled itself together enough to form an amorphous cloud. Chat whirled and saw its smoky, red eyes wide with hatred. He was not prepared for the palpable dread it exuded like a bad smell. 

_What are you?_

It rose up, and to his horror, it continued to swell in size. “Marcella…” 

Chat imagined great, dark wings taking flight as the creature lifted with a flourish and shot after Gallina and the akuma with alarming speed. “Gallina! Watch out!”

Gallina was farther ahead chasing the akuma, but she turned at his warning and bared her teeth in a snarl at the sight of the darkness closing in. Her mirror was her only defense, and she clutched it like a talisman as the creature slammed into her. Once again, she deflected the darkness entirely, but the force sent her careening into a nearby tree. 

“Marcella!!!” the cloud roared as it descended upon the akuma and swallowed it whole.

A hurricane burst of power exploded from the creature’s impact with the akuma and knocked everyone in the vicinity back. Police shouted as they tried in vain to corral terrified civilians. Children wailed and sobbed. And Chat could only watch as the cloud began to take on a familiar, awful shape. Dark wings unfolded from the mist, strangely solid compared to the shadow creature’s former shape. A black butterfly as large as a car emerged from the black cocoon and tested its new wings. 

Chat didn’t know what this meant, but seeing that monster solidify filled him with such foreboding that he was petrified to the spot. There was something carnal and real about it that hadn’t existed before. If Ladybug didn’t purify it, would it plunge the entire city in darkness? The world? 

The living nightmare rose up, and as it spread its baleful wings, it seemed to eat the sun itself and cast the world in its shadow. 

“Solar Flare!”

Gallina aimed her mirror directly at the giant nightmare and unleashed a scintillating flash of raw light. Chat felt it like a flaying beneath his suit, in the roots of his hair, digging into him until there was nothing left to hide. It was not painful, and it lasted only a moment, but in that moment he had been ripped open and exposed as if under the cold lens of a camera. He clutched his heart and sank to his knees, shaking. It took a few seconds for his vision to begin to clear, and he saw popping sun spots as his head swam. 

Sounds reached him, mostly people shouting and running. And when he looked up, he saw the remains of the giant butterfly, nothing but smoke in the wind. Gallina’s Solar Flare had incinerated it and the akuma it had swallowed, until there was nothing left but ashes. 

“Chat!” Queen Bee sprinted to him, her vision returned to normal. 

It took him a moment to realize he was seeing her in double, his vision shot to shit, and it took all he had not to vomit right there. Queen Bee hauled him to his unsteady feet. 

“Looks like the akuma’s gone for good this time. What the hell happened?”

Chat blinked hard and tried to clear his vision. There was no sign of Gallina anywhere. “Gallina stopped it.”

“What? How? I thought only Ladybug could purify akumas.”

“She didn’t purify it,” said Ladybug, the unconscious Marcella in her arms. “She burned it up.”

“Well, she’s the one who saved our asses. Works for me.”

Ladybug looked offended at that, but the police had surrounded them and ten people began talking all at once. Chat’s ring beeped. 

“I have to go,” Chat said. He clutched his head, feeling a migraine coming on. 

“Great, I was just leaving myself,” Queen Bee said. 

“Ladybug, is that the akumatized child?” asked one of the uniformed officers. “We’ve got paramedics here.”

Chat caught Ladybug’s eye in between the officers, but her gaze was hard and unflinching. 

“Yes, it is. I’d like to accompany Marcella to the hospital. I’ll answer any questions on the way,” Ladybug said. Her tone was back to business. 

Chat wanted to take her hand, make sure she was all right. Any other day, and she may have worried about him, too. He was always the one getting hurt between the two of them, always the vanguard to her cavalry, but she always made sure he was all right after the battle. They were a team, after all. 

But that was before she saw him for who he really was. 

_“I don’t have time for you right now.”_

Chat averted his gaze. “Bee, let’s go. We’re just in the way here.”

Queen Bee didn’t need further encouragement, and the two of them left Ladybug to deal with the aftermath alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick FYI, since Lila is Italian, her Miraculous name is pronounced the Italian way with a long double L sound.
> 
> You guys leaving comments and kudos are the best motivation a writer could ever hope for! Thank you so much, each and every one of you. 
> 
> Also, I think I'm going to bring back the Next Time blurbs at the end of the chapter, since that seemed to be well-received on my other ML fic.
> 
> Next time: Chlodrien defy genre conventions by speaking actual words at each other, Luka is consulted for his expertise in being a Normal Person, and Kagami is a true bro.


	7. Gods and Girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nathalie deserves a raise.

_Agathe Bouchard_

_Darius Olivetti_

_Clover Huang_

_Martin Desjardins_

The names of the killer clown’s victims were seared into Nathalie’s memory like brain damage. Gabriel had expressed his regret at their deaths, calling them “unfortunate collateral damage,” but Nathalie could not seem to get them off her mind all weekend. In the course of her Googling, she found a GoFundMe campaign one of the families had started to help pay for funeral costs for the victims. She’d stared at the page for the longest time, her mouse hovering over the donation button, until her phone rang—Adrien’s Chinese instructor had come down with the flu and would have to cancel the lesson. She’d closed her laptop and didn’t open it again.

It was now late on Monday morning when she heard a low thud from the solar, and she rushed through the hidden passage behind Emilie’s portrait to check on Gabriel. She found him on his knees clutching his heart. Nooroo was unconscious on the floor next to him. 

“Sir!” Nathalie dropped the tray and glass of water she had been carrying to help him. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

Gabriel’s breathing was labored. “Ladybug was supposed to purify the akuma, not destroy it. Damn those Miraculous brats…”

Nathalie did not quite follow, and she was more concerned with the state Gabriel was in. She offered him a hand up, but he shrugged her off. 

“I’m fine,” he said, getting to his feet on his own. He wiped his mouth, and Nathalie was shocked to see the blood that came away on his hand. 

“You’re bleeding. Let me grab a first aid kit.”

“I said, I’m fine. It’s nothing.” He walked on shaky legs to the counter against the wall, popped open a glass decanter, and poured himself two fingers of golden scotch. 

Nathalie scooped up Nooroo. She stroked his bulbous head, but he was unresponsive. 

_What happened out there?_

“Sir, Nooroo’s unconscious,” she said. 

“Incinerated them both,” Gabriel muttered to himself like he hadn’t heard her. “I need to move faster…”

Nooroo stirred with a little groan, and Nathalie held him close. “Nooroo, can you hear me?”

“Oh… Nathalie?” he said in a small voice. “It hurts.”

Gabriel noticed them as if for the first time, downed the rest of his drink, and approached on heavy feet. “Nooroo, good, you’re awake. We have work to do.”

“Master, I don’t know if…”

Nathalie set her jaw. “You need to eat, Nooroo. I’ll find you something in the kitchen.”

“That can wait,” Gabriel said. He held out his hand. “Give him to me.”

Nathalie stared at her imperious employer. He was a cold, unfeeling sort of man, she knew this, but he was not insensitive, especially not when it came to Nooroo’s wellbeing. She cradled the little kwami to her chest. “Sir, I don’t think—”

“This doesn’t concern you. Give him to me.”

She rose up to her full height. Even though he was taller and broader than her, Nathalie had not survived this long in Gabriel’s employ by letting him intimidate her when they both knew she had the right of things. “You know he always needs food and rest after a transformation. The sooner you let me handle it, the sooner you can return to your work.”

There was a moment when she feared he might actually protest. Icy, blue eyes watched her as if to peel her, flesh from bone, and wheedle out her true motivations. But the moment passed, and he receded into himself. Hands folded behind his back, he stood up straighter. 

“I see,” he said. “Then I trust you’ll get it done quickly.”

Nathalie nodded, not trusting her voice. It wasn’t until she gathered the tray and the broken glass and exited the solar with Nooroo that she took a moment to adjust herself. Nooroo said nothing from his seat on the tray next to the broken glass shards as he watched her smooth her blazer. She caught his eye and frowned. 

Nooroo appeared to be a cute butterfly, and he was always courteous to her, but something about him had always unsettled Nathalie. Like he was more than he seemed, and it was only by some incomprehensible choice that he held himself back. Why that was, she could not say. Gabriel had explained to her that Nooroo was a kind of god, the personification of Empathy, and Nathalie did not question him. But sometimes she wondered—what kind of god chose to tether himself to the whims of a mortal?

“You need not pity me,” Nooroo said as he watched her. “I am much stronger than I look.”

“I don’t pity you.” _I pity him._

Nooroo smiled like he knew exactly what she was thinking. “You have a sympathetic heart. That’s why you cannot understand.”

“Understand what?”

“How far I would go.”

They approached the staircase to the main hall, but Nathalie paused when she heard raised voices coming from Adrien’s room. Odd, he should have been at school. She shared a glance with Nooroo, but he only looked up at her curiously. 

Nathalie debated a moment, then decided she would at least knock on Adrien’s door to check on him. Perhaps the akuma attack had prompted the high school to evacuate. She was about to do just that when she heard two more voices she did not recognize. How had Adrien managed to bring two friends home without anyone noticing him coming through the front door? 

Nooroo gasped. “Plagg?”

* * *

 

Chat Noir was grateful for Queen Bee’s assistance in practically carrying him home. They slipped through his bedroom window, and he all but collapsed out of his super suit and onto his bed. Groaning, Adrien steadied himself on shaking elbows over his bed and squeezed his eyes shut. Plagg was faring little better. 

“My _eyes_ ,” Plagg complained. “Inconsiderate cock…”

Queen Bee snorted. “Language, pussy.”

Plagg sneered at her through dilated eyes. “I meant Orikko, obviously. And by the way? I take that as a linguistically accurate description. So top _that_.”

“ _Please_ stop shouting, both of you,” Adrien said, rubbing his temples hard. 

Queen Bee rolled her eyes. “Who’s Orikko?”

Plagg hissed. “Gallina’s kwami. He’s such a snob! He _knows_ how sensitive my eyes are and he didn’t even warn his Chosen to be careful. Wait’ll I get my claws in him…” 

Adrien’s vision was mercifully returning to normal faster now that he wasn’t fused with Plagg. He managed to sit upright on his bed. “You know, I don’t think Gallina had much of a choice with the way things were going back there.”

“Bah! Whatever, I’m taking a nap, so you two better keep it down. Ugh, my head…”

Adrien watched Plagg stagger through the air to his little bed across the room. When he accidentally knocked over the desk lamp, Queen Bee took pity on him and carried him the rest of the way. 

“For the record, I owe you nothing for this,” Plagg groused as he kneaded his custom, plush cat bed and began to purr. “That goes double for you, Pollen.”

“Jesus, you’re a real piece of work,” Queen Bee said. 

Adrien ignored them, downed the half glass of water on his nightstand, and breathed deeply until he didn’t feel like the room was spinning anymore. Queen Bee lingered by the window, ready to leave at any moment. The fact that she didn’t encouraged Adrien to broach the subject that had been on his mind the whole trip home. 

“Did you mean what you said before?” he asked. 

Queen Bee eyed him suspiciously. “What?”

“When you said you thought I’d really leave you behind.”

Chloe was hard to read when she was guarded, but as Queen Bee, she was carved of stone behind her harlequin mask. Fortunately for Adrien, he knew all her tells. 

She looked away. “You’re always following Ladybug everywhere, so, you know, lucky guess.”

Adrien didn’t miss the tightness in her voice that reminded him of fabric strained to ripping. He stared at her in disbelief.

“In the middle of a fight when you were incapacitated and vulnerable?” he said. “You really thought…”

Queen Bee fixed him with a mighty glare. “Whatever, you didn’t, so it doesn’t matter.” She scoffed. “What am I even still doing here?”

She moved to climb out the window, but Adrien was on his feet and stopping her, nausea be damned. 

“It matters,” he insisted. 

She stared resolutely at the window like she was waiting for him to lose interest and give it a rest. It was a tactic he recognized, but one he’d only ever seen her use with her mother when she went off about some new problem she had with the way Chloe dressed, what she ate, who she was seen in public with. 

“Look at me,” Adrien said. 

“You’re being utterly ridiculous.”

She still did not look at him. 

Any other day, and he may have lost his temper with her. They didn’t do this with each other. The ignoring, the acquiescing, the _masks_ —that was for their parents. Never with each other. And then he remembered what she’d confessed on the Eiffel Tower just the other night when they fell apart. 

“Do you really wish Chat Noir was anyone but me?”

That did it. Queen Bee got in his face, and in her stripes she was a fearsome sight to behold. “What do you think?” The pain in her eyes spoke louder than any words ever could. 

“Why?” 

The hurt morphed to shock as she studied him like a language she didn’t understand, until even that receded behind the mask. Chloe was gone; this was Queen Bee, and she owed Adrien nothing. 

“If you have to ask, then we really are too far gone.” She averted her gaze. “I think I’ve known for a while.”

Adrien didn’t understand any more now than he had that night on the Eiffel Tower, but he knew they had arrived at a crossroads, and if he made the wrong decision, he would lose something he hadn’t realized was at risk. 

“We’re not,” he said with as much conviction as he could muster. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but being your friend was never one of them.”

“A, don’t—”

“Let me finish. You’re my oldest friend, and you always will be. When you revealed yourself to me, I was shocked and a little afraid. But I was never disappointed. I told you before, I’ve always wanted to have someone to share everything with.”

“But you have Marinette for that,” she blurted out. “She’s Ladybug, everything you could ever want in a partner—more than that.” 

As soon as Queen Bee brought up Ladybug, Adrien understood. Had he really been so blind? He could not remember the last time he had messed up so badly. “Is that what’s been bothering you? That I would choose Ladybug over you?”

Her blue eye were wide and soul-bearing as the last of her resistances came crashing down. “You already did the moment you became Chat Noir. Next to her, I’m just…” She gestured to herself, as if it were obvious. “I never stood a chance.”

Adrien felt something snap bleed within him. He had the overwhelming urge to hug her close. “Oh, Chlo…”

His favored nickname for her was the last straw. Her face contorted as she fought a sob, and Adrien pulled her into the hug they both needed. He was afraid she’d push him away and leave for real this time, but she only stood there stranded as he held onto her. 

“You’re so wrong,” he whispered fiercely. “I love you so much, but you’re so wrong.”

“W-What?”

“I love you, Chlo. That will always be true, no matter what mask you wear. Listen to me.” He pulled back. They were both crying, but Adrien couldn’t care less. “There’s no choice between you and Ladybug, because my feelings for her have nothing to do with my feelings for you. Just because they’re different doesn’t mean they’re not equal. No one could ever take your place.”

She trembled in his arms, fragile despite all her miraculous strength. “Really?”

He gave her his most winning smile. “Really.”

She nodded, more to herself than to him. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It is. Do you trust me?”

“Yeah. I trust you.” She steeled herself. “I love you, too.”

He laughed, and god it felt good to laugh. The last time he’d laughed was at his birthday party before all this had started. That felt like a hundred years ago. “I know. I’m _purr_ -fect.”

She hid a smile behind a look of disgust. “Uh-uh, no. You keep your half-assed cat puns to yourself.”

“Here, here,” Plagg muttered groggily from his corner. 

* * *

 

Nathalie quietly but quickly dashed down the stairs to the kitchen with Nooroo, having heard far more than she cared to already. Nooroo was strangely silent as she set the tray down on the kitchen counter and just stood there. 

_Adrien is Chat Noir._

And not just that, but his friends, Chloe Bourgeois and Marinette Dupain-Cheng were Queen Bee and Ladybug, respectively. Nathalie remembered Marinette from her internship—a sweet girl, a bit shy and awkward, but keenly interested in fashion. Even Gabriel had approved of her work, no mean feat. And Chloe, of course, was Audrey Bourgeois’ daughter. 

_“If I were you, Emilie, I would relieve that new assistant of yours before she relieves your husband.”_

“Oh my god,” Nathalie said, clutching her chest. Was she having a heart attack? She was pretty sure she was having a heart attack. 

Nooroo flew at her face and touched a hand to her nose. “Breathe.”

Nathalie was too overwhelmed to swat at him. 

_I have to tell Gabriel._

As soon as she had the thought, it made her sick. As in, she was legitimately going to be sick. Gagging, she barely made it to the kitchen sink before she vomited her breakfast all over the stainless steel. Weak and shaking, she ran the spigot and rinsed her mouth. Nooroo landed on the faucet and looked up at her. 

_Agathe Bouchard_

_Darius Gosse_

_Clover Huang_

_Martin Desjardins_

Their names came to her again, and she imagined the water washing them down the disposal along with her partially digested toast. Soon, all she could hear was the water blasting, spraying the edge of the sink. 

Nathalie and Nooroo exchanged no words as they stared at one another. And in that moment, somehow she knew they were thinking the same thing. 

_Gabriel can never know._

* * *

 

Luka hung up the phone with his sister, Juleka, and forced himself to take a deep breath. She was fine despite the terrifying akuma attack that had occurred this morning at her high school. Luka had been ready to leave work and pick her up, but she insisted that everything was fine. 

He ran the sink in the powder room and splashed water on his face, willing himself to calm down. “Pull it together, Couffaine.”

Juleka had been present for the previous akuma attack, though, so shoot him for being worried. The clown had crashed her friend Adrien’s birthday party in the park, the same party Chloe had been reluctant to attend. Small world. 

_Too small._

He wiped his face with one of the fancy hand towels. It was embroidered with the Bourgeois family crest. What kind of family showed off a crest in 2019? Ones who bought a brand new townhouse in the most expensive neighborhood in Paris only to put even more money into remodeling it, he supposed. Sighing, he carefully folded the towel, made sure he left no sign of his presence in the little bathroom, and went back to work in the kitchen. 

Chloe came downstairs a couple hours later, and he frowned. When had she come home? He had a clear view of the front door, but he could have sworn no one had gone in or out all morning. To his complete surprise, she made a beeline straight for him. 

“Luka,” she said. “I need you.”

Luka couldn’t help the lopsided smile spreading across his drywall-smeared face. Did she hear herself? She must have heard herself. The way she was looking at him—annoyed, a little miffed, and very serious—told him she definitely did not hear herself. 

He did her a favor and let it slide. “How can I be of service?”

“You shop second-hand, right?”

If she didn’t look so earnest, he may have been insulted. And he was a little insulted, but he realized she hadn’t meant to hurt him. If a girl like Chloe wanted to make him feel like shit, he was sure he would feel it with the force of a wrecking ball.

But still. 

“Why would you think that?” he asked simply. 

She frowned, and he could practically hear the gears turning in her pretty head. “You know, last season discounts, DIY, coupons, that sort of thing.” She gestured at him. 

He paused. “ _That_ sort of thing?”

She peered at him, and as though she only just realized what she had said, she flushed. “Like, you know— _ugh_ , look, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You didn’t mean to call me poor?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Great, way to make me look like a dick.”

He smiled thinly. “No, you did that all by yourself.”

Supremely flustered and not fully understanding why, she predictably defaulted to haughty anger to hide her embarrassment. “Okay, asshole. This was the _worst_ idea I’ve ever had, obviously. I’ll just fuck off now, you’re welcome.”

He dashed around her to block her path. “Hey, wait, I didn’t mean to scare you off.”

“Well, I didn’t mean to call you the P-word!”

Despite himself, Luka laughed. “The P-word? Seriously? It’s not a slur, you know.”

She was so uncomfortable that he could feel the heat of her shame radiating off her. “Just forget I said anything, okay?”

“Hey, Chloe. Look at me.”

She didn’t look at him. 

“I’m not mad, all right?”

“You’re not?” She looked up at him then, frowning. 

He shrugged. “I mean, I’m a little insulted, but I think that wasn’t your intention.”

She blinked. 

He waited. 

She muttered something under her breath that he didn’t quite catch. 

“What was that?” he asked. 

“I said, I’m _sorry_ , okay?” Chloe set her jaw and glared up at him. “I’m not good at this, so just—I’m sorry. I…shouldn’t have said it like that.”

He rewarded her with a smile. “Thank you. Apology accepted.”

They stood there an arm’s length apart wondering where to go from here. He cleared his throat. 

“So…you said you need me?”

“What?”

He put up his hands. “Your words, my lady.”

Like a switch had been flipped, she immediately closed herself off. “Don’t call me that.”

Luka watched her, fascinated. This time, she seemed truly upset. “Okay, I won’t.”

The cold veneer she presented was something he grew to dislike instantly, and he racked his brain for something that might wake her up again. 

“You mentioned second hand,” he said, slowly and softly so as not to spook her. “I’m guessing you’re probably looking for more vintage than bargain?”

Slowly, she seemed to return to her body. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“And you thought I could help you find it?”

She huffed. “Look, I really didn’t mean to insult you. But there’s, like, four people who don’t despise me, so my options are kind of limited. One’s too busy being the mayor, one’s doing god knows what in London, one’s a clueless rich boy, and then there’s you. I just figured you were the most normal one, and maybe you’d know where I should start looking, okay?”

Luka’s first thought was that there was a lot to unpack there considering that he, who had known her for about three days, was one of four people in the entire world who she believed did not loathe her guts. His second thought was that for whatever reason, she had deemed him one of those four people, and that meant…something. Maybe not to him, but it meant something to her. Luka had always been the type to try anything once; he wasn’t about to forego the chance she had given him, whatever it might be. She seemed like she needed it, if the way she’d broken down in front of him on Friday was anything to go by.

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll help you.”

“You will? I mean, good. Great. Let’s go.”

She turned to leave, and he grabbed her wrist. “Whoa, hold up, Blondie. I’m kind of in the middle of my work day.”

Chloe winced. “Gross.”

“The nickname, or my inescapable existence as a cog in the capitalist machine of our society?”

“Both. I’m a Bourgeois, and primo geniture basically makes me your boss. Consider this working remotely.”

Luka laughed. “Pretty sure construction’s an on-site kind of gig.”

“Pretty sure my mother’s indisposed, so _my_ word is law.”

“Straight-up medieval.”

She smirked. “Exactly.”

Luka took a moment to look her over—hip cocked, lips curved, head high, and those blue eyes alive with confidence as if to say, “Your move.” He swallowed the dryness in his throat. Games weren’t his thing, but damn if she didn’t make it kind of fun. 

“Well, then.” He removed his paint-smeared smock and draped it over the chair next to her, leaning forward. “If my queen commands it.”

Chloe’s lips parted as her jaw slackened and her eyes unfocused. It was only a moment, and he may have missed it if he wasn’t watching her carefully for a reaction, but it was enough. “I do,” she said, her tone surprisingly calm and not at all like he’d just discovered a pressure point she didn’t realize she had until now. 

“Okay,” Luka said. “I just have to let my supervisor know I’m cutting out early today.” He turned to do just that, when another thought stopped him. “By the way, what are we looking for, exactly? Different vintage shops around the city cater to different tastes.”

“Jewelry,” Chloe said. “Really old, really exotic jewelry.”

* * *

 

Lila glued herself to the TV in her room the minute she got home. As expected, the news channels were airing nothing but the akuma attack and its aftermath. She opened up the bag of cherries she’d snagged from the kitchen and popped one in her mouth. 

“…Are those cherries?” asked Orikko, the tiny rooster-shaped kwami that was the true source of the Miraculous Choker’s power. 

“Who wants to know?” She smirked and dangled one in front of him. 

Orikko’s crest drooped, the closest he could probably come to frowning considering he had a beak and no lips. “Obviously, I do.”

Lila rolled her eyes. “ _Obviously_ it was a joke. Here, have as many as you want. I got them for you, as requested.”

Orikko didn’t need to be told twice. He snatched the offered cherry in his beak to swallow whole, pit and all, and then grabbed the whole bag from her to chow down on her bed. “Oh, that’s delicious…mmm. Five hundred years I’ve waited for this.”

Lila watched him stuff more cherries in his mouth than should have been physically possible. “Five hundred years, huh? Who decided that?”

“The Guardian usually regulates the Miraculous in circulation. Often the current Ladybug and Chat Noir have a say.”

Lila narrowed her eyes and stole one of his cherries. “Well, that sucks. Why should they get to choose who goes free and who stays locked up?”

“Tikki and Plagg are the strongest of us. It’s their Chosen wielders’ right.”

“Tell me something: did you like being locked up for five hundred years without cherries?”

Orikko paused, considering. “Well, no… But it’s not that simple. It’s rare that I Choose a human. Tikki and Plagg are always Choosing new wielders, but I’m…careful.”

Only an Intuitive heart could awaken Orikko and activate the Rooster Miraculous, as he had explained last night once Lila stopped screaming and assured her parents that she’d just seen a spider, it was no big deal. 

“So you have standards,” Lila quipped as she flipped through the channels all showing footage of the creepy akuma. 

_Unlike Ladybug’s kwami, clearly._

Orikko watched her, his dark eyes as listless as he was. Lila had never imagined what kind of personality a rooster might have, but she would have expected something a bit more colorful and energetic. For a god who bestowed the power of Illumination on his Chosen, Orikko’s temperament was about as far from sunny as the dark side of the moon.

“I have _plans_ ,” he corrected at length. “Plans that require patience.”

“Uh-huh.” Lila wasn’t really listening anymore as she focused her attention on the television and the interviews with eye-witnesses after the akuma had been neutralized. 

Nadja Chamack was on the scene talking with some people who had managed to avoid being blinded and witnessed the entire fight. 

_“Sir, you claim you saw the new Miraculous hero, Gallina? Can you tell us a bit more?”_ Nadja asked an older gentleman in a grocer’s uniform. 

_“I sure did, Nadja. It happened pretty fast, but when Ladybug was blinded by the creature, Florence and I were afraid that was the end.”_ He put his arm around his wife, Florence. _“But then that new hero came in like fireworks and blasted the thing into next Tuesday! It was somethin’, all right.”_

Lila grinned and flipped the channel to another news station, where more eye-witnesses were interviewed for their side of the story. By and large, the reaction had been the same: Ladybug being blinded had been a turn for the worse, and everyone was surprised but grateful that Gallina, the new masked hero, had stepped in to stop the akuma. She came to a clip of her own interview alongside Aurore, Marc, and Nathaniel. 

_“I was so worried about Ladybug and Queen Bee,”_ her television self said to the reporter interviewing her shortly after the attack. _“We’re so lucky Gallina stepped up to help when Ladybug couldn’t do a thing. She seems like a real hero.”_

Another channel played a video shared by the Ladyblog of Gallina’s ultimate attack that had obliterated the akuma while Ladybug sat useless on the ground. 

_“I think I speak for all of us when I say I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Paris’s newest hero,”_ said an anchorman after the video clip finished playing. _“With the recent uptick in akuma attacks, I’m sure Ladybug is happy to have all the assistance she can get.”_

Lila rolled over on her bed, delighted. She hadn’t felt this good in _so long_. And this was just the beginning! She laughed out loud as she hugged a pillow to her chest. 

Orikko hopped onto the pillow and peered down at her impassively. “You truly dislike Ladybug. Why?”

Lila opened her mouth to refute him without thinking. But she caught herself when she saw the way he was watching her, like he saw right through her. And she remembered there was no fluff or frills with Orikko. Those insightful eyes would burn right through them.

“Ah,” Orikko said before she had the chance. “She hurt you. Of course.”

Lila frowned. “Has anyone ever told you how annoying that is?”

“You can’t hide anything from me, Sunshine. Illumination is my power.”

“I get that, but you could dim the lights now and then.”

He cocked his little head, and it was…frustratingly cute. “What do you mean?”

“You know, hedge. Skirt the truth.”

“You mean, lie.”

“I _mean_ , tell them what they want to hear.”

“…So lie.”

She covered her eyes with her arm. “Ugh, you’re impossible. Think of it like…a show. A performance. A game, if you prefer. There’s a winner and a loser. Which would you rather to be?”

“What makes you think you have only two absolute choices?”

Lila let out a sharp breath. She recalled something her father had told when she was a little girl after she’d walked in on him in bed with his first mistress. A teaching moment, he’d called it. It was never a bad time for one of those. “Because that’s the world we live in. You play to win, or you get swept away with the rest of the trash.”

“I see.” Orikko was silent as he considered her words. “So, is that what you want? To beat Ladybug?”

Lila stared up at the ceiling. “No. I want to dismantle her. I want to give her a taste of her own medicine.”

She felt them on her skin like crawling bugs—the eyes of her classmates, of all of Paris. She heard them laughing at her, saw them sneer. Stripped naked of all her armors and spells, she had never felt so dirty. And for what? For a few white lies she’d told to try to impress a hot guy? Did that merit the soul-crushing ignominy Ladybug had doled out? Did that deserve the sadistic cruelty with which Ladybug had flayed her raw with her words, even after Adrien himself had asked her to stop? After he warned her she’d gone too far?

“How did she hurt you?” Orikko asked. 

Lila hadn’t realized she’d begun to tear up until she heard his markedly softer tone. Embarrassed, she rubbed her eyes red. But Orikko was right—she could not hide from him any more than she could hide from herself.

“She humiliated me,” Lila said, barely a whisper. “And she enjoyed every minute of it.”

Delicate as falling snow, Orikko quietly flapped down to her shoulder. He wiped a stray tear with his feathered wing. “I understand your pain.”

When he touched her cheek, she felt the immortal truth in his words. They filled her with a soothing coolness, from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes, and she believed in him like she’d never believed in herself—in anything, really. Sniffling, she curled up and pulled him to her chest, and he let her. 

The television played in the background as the news continued to report on Gallina’s welcome save. The words faded and blurred as Lila clutched her kwami close. She tasted cherries as she drifted into a fragile sleep.

* * *

 

While Dupont closed due to the sudden akuma attack, Baudelaire Academy continued with a full day of classes and extracurriculars. Kagami was surprised, however, when her usual fencing partner did not show up for today’s lesson. Adrien never missed a practice, akuma attack or no. She texted him after her lesson on a whim. 

[Kagami: You missed practice.]

[Kagami: Are you dead?]

She watched Paris in twilight pass her by outside her car’s backseat window as she waited for a reply. It came after several minutes. 

[Adrien: I was earlier. Splitting headache.]

[Adrien:  😿 ]

Kagami frowned at the crying cat emoji. He had a penchant for the things, and she honestly did not see the appeal. 

[Kagami: Must have been a bad one for you to skip.]

[Adrien: How about a makeup? Tomorrow after practice.]

[Adrien: En garde!  ⚔️ ]

“God,” Kagami grumbled. 

“ _Nanika goyou de gozaimasuka, Kagami-san_?” asked her driver, Taichi. 

“ _Iya, kekkou desu_.”

[Kagami: I’m gonna kick your out-of-practice ass.]

[Adrien:  🙃 ]

She stashed her phone as Taichi pulled into the driveway. Dinner was a family affair with both her parents in attendance. Her mother, Junko, told Kagami to come straight home after fencing tomorrow—they were having guests for dinner. Citing homework, Kagami excused herself after dinner and retreated to her room. A hot bath sounded good after what had felt like a particularly long day. 

Half an hour later, she was comfortable in yoga pants and an athletic top on her bed scrolling through news articles about today’s akuma attack. She’d seen the reports that morning along with the rest of the Baudelaire Academy students, whose class time was interrupted to air the coverage. Ever since the killer clown last Friday, akuma attacks had become like fire drills. Where before people mostly disregarded the attacks if they were happening somewhere else, the casualties on Friday served as a grim reminder of the real danger people running around with literal superpowers could pose to the general population. 

Kagami frowned as she scrolled over a headline comparing the two latest attacks—children’s nightmares given deadly shape and form. To weaponize a child’s greatest fear, be it creepy clowns or the dark, seemed like a new low for Hawk Moth. Kagami barely recalled her own time as the akumatized super villain Riposte, and she was glad of it. Sometimes she dreamed she was still dressed for battle in her white armor, cutting and slashing anything that moved. Every time, the dream ended in the same place: with Adrien crying and begging for his life just before she drove her sword through him. 

Hers had been one of the rare akumas that had caused serious bodily injury to civilians. 

Kagami gripped her phone hard. “Never again,” she promised herself. 

Never again would she ever let anyone exploit her weakness at the expense of others. 

A tap on her balcony door startled her, and she jumped off her bed. Reacting instinctively, she brandished her phone like a weapon for all the good it would do. 

“Chat Noir?” she said, relaxing at the familiar sight of him. She slid open the glass balcony door. “What do you want?”

“Oh, you know, just felt like a balcony scene with a cute girl.” He grinned toothily.

Kagami rolled her eyes, but stepped outside to join him. “Well, if I see one, I’ll be sure lend her my pepper spray.”

He laughed. “Harsh. Cut me a little slack, I had a hard day.”

They settled—Kagami on a cushioned, whicker loveseat and Chat balancing on the railing, one knee tucked against his chest. She took a moment to observe him, and her eyes landed on his Miraculous staff. He saw her looking and grinned. 

“I meant to swing by earlier,” he said. “Heard you got a little handsy with my staff.”

Kagami groaned. “You’re awful. There’s no way Ladybug lets you get away with all those cheesy innuendos.”

He shrugged. “I heard you went after that killer clown like he was coming for your first born.”

Maybe he thought he was being smooth, but there was no way Kagami wasn’t going to notice how he deliberately avoided that subject of Ladybug. She humored him for now. “I have some skills, you know.”

“I’m well aware.” He regarded her with those green cat eyes that, if she was being honest, were a bit unsettling to look upon for too long. “You took a big risk. I’m sure everyone was worried about you.”

“I was in a position to help, so I did. You would’ve done the same thing.”

“I have super powers,” he said softly. 

Kagami almost laughed. He was scolding her? This guy who ran around in a leather cat suit, who literally threw himself into danger every time an akuma attacked but was too shy to reveal his true face, was worried about _her_? “I guess not all heroes wear masks.”

He watched her, thoughtful, but she couldn’t read his guarded look. “Yeah, I guess not. Thanks, by the way.”

The night was warm and clear, and from her balcony Kagami and Chat had a clear view of the city lights. He didn’t often come to see her, and when he did it was usually to ask for her opinion on something going on in his personal life, the details of which he shared very little. The first time it happened, she’d come right out and asked him what the hell he was doing here when he didn’t even know her—he had barely been present when she was akumatized as Riposte. 

_“Adrien Agreste asked me to check up on you,”_ he’d said, winking. 

Kagami wondered if she ought to have Chat check up on Adrien for a change, all things considered. 

“You all right?” she asked. “I saw the news reports.”

“I always land on my feet.”

Kagami looked at him pointedly. “Always?”

He flashed her a grin, but she wasn’t buying it. His fake smile fell, and the rest of him seemed to fall a little bit with it. He said nothing. 

“Why’d you really come here?” she asked. 

“I don’t know.”

“You do know. You’re just always afraid to admit it.”

His breath hitched, and Kagami scrutinized him carefully. He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t even looking at her. 

“If I say it, then it becomes real,” he said. 

“If it’s real, then you can cut it down.” She got up and leaned on the railing next to him, surveying the nightscape. So many lights in the darkness, little floating stars, alone together. “Did she reject you again?”

“Yeah,” he said, weary like he had never sounded before. “This time…she really did.”

The whole of Paris knew of Chat Noir’s ardent love for his Ladybug. He was flamboyant in his displays because he wanted the world to know how devoted he was to his partner, his best friend, the woman he had so obviously loved for as long as Kagami had known him—probably since the day he’d become Chat Noir. And who could blame him? Ladybug was an icon of strength and passion. There was something about her that could move people to wish for night, all the sooner to greet the dawn that was sure to follow. Ladybug had been the first sight Kagami had seen when she surfaced from the stranglehold of her akumatization. Her first thought, before the guilt and the shame and the self-loathing, had been one of hope watching Ladybug fix what was broken, restore what had faded. A wish upon a star, and dreams came true. For a single moment on the horizon dividing hope from despair, Ladybug had become her god.

But Ladybug was not a god; she was just a girl doing the best she could. She did not deserve the pillars of responsibility that raised her high where the air is thin, nor the heavy burdens of faith that would inevitably bring her crashing back down when she faltered.

And she would falter.

All people do.

“You could switch your target,” Kagami said. “Plenty of other fish in the sea.”

Chat was silent for a long time. “Yeah.”

Kagami wondered at his passivity—he hadn’t even batted an eye at her opening for a cat pun. This wasn’t like times past. Something had really shaken him. “Or you could change your strategy.”

“I tried that. Blew up in my face—no mask to protect me.”

_Oh…_

So that was it.

“Did you try talking to her about it?”

“Yeah, but—”

Kagami waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. “But…you didn’t talk to her at all, did you?”

Chat growled and sank his claws in his hair. “It’s not like I didn’t try. She just—she…”

For two people who seemed to get along well for the cameras, Kagami was honestly surprised to discover that Ladybug and Chat Noir had a communication problem. A big one. How did they risk their lives for each other if they couldn’t even have a personal conversation, no matter how uncomfortable? 

“I don’t even think it’s really that. I think…” He sighed. “I think she had an idea of who I am, and when it turned out to be someone else, she took it pretty hard.”

_You mean, kind of like what you’re doing now?_

Kagami bit her tongue before she could blurt out something rude and wound him further. 

“It’s my fault,” he said, defeated. “I ruined it, and I think it may be too late now.”

“Well, it’s not like you’re dead. Just try again.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Wow, brilliant. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you have a bad habit of doubting yourself when you’re upset.”

“I guess you just know me so well, huh.”

“I know you’re human under that mask, the same as me.” She turned and leaned her hip on the railing so she could face him head-on. “Here’s your human lesson for the night, Chat Noir: don’t give up. Not until you’ve said your piece, whatever it is. You deserve that much from her after everything you’ve been through together.” Kagami peered at him through the gloom. “Or do you disagree?”

“No,” he said softly. “I don’t disagree at all.”

They lingered there a few minutes, and he receded into his inner thoughts. Kagami wondered what Ladybug had seen beneath his mask that could have made her run from him like she didn’t even recognize him. 

_Maybe she saw her own god falter._

People broke under far slighter pressures.

“Guess it’s a good thing I’ve got nine lives,” Chat said. “Even the thing that kills me can’t keep me down forever.”

“No, it can’t.”

He smirked, more relieved than sad. Kagami favored him with a half smile of her own. 

“Thanks, Kagami. You’re a good friend.”

He bid her goodnight and melted into the darkness. Kagami lingered outside, her head full of gods and girls, as she searched for the dawn she knew would come eventually.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is absolutely no way I’m the first person to suggest this stupidly perfect pairing name pun but… **Noiragami**. Discuss.
> 
> Also, I’m sorry for the childish dirty jokes in the beginning there, but honestly? If anyone would, it would be Plagg and Chloe. And it will probably continue to be Plagg and Chloe.
> 
> Anyway, all the angst made me sad, so I hope you enjoyed the Chlodrien friendship and Chloluka ~something~ in this chapter! Sincerely apologizing and learning from our mistakes is cool and we should all try it sometime.
> 
> Next time: It’s the Marinette Dupain-Cheng Happy Hour, hold the happy. Adrien puts on his sleuthing cap. Kagami has the shortest dinner party ever.


	8. Get In Loser, We’re Going Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst, banter, ominous foreshadowing, flirting—this chapter has it all! And it’s kind of long, sorry about that.

Ladybug made her rounds at the hospital after Marcella’s parents arrived. Like Valentin, Marcella was physically healed when Ladybug cast her ultimate spell, but she was drained and remained unconscious, leaving the hospital staff mystified. Ladybug was one of several visitors wishing to pay respects and drop off flowers or get-well-soon cards to the victimized children, but her presence drew more fans than honest visitors, and she realized she was only getting in the way. 

Reverting in the bathroom, she waited for the fuss over Ladybug to die down a bit as she sat in the stall with Tikki. 

“You need to talk to them,” Tikki said, soft but firm. 

“They’re unconscious. And they won’t know me as Marinette.”

“You know I don’t mean the children.”

Marinette bit her lip. The thought of talking to Chloe and Adrien about anything at all chilled her to the bone. There was so much to say, and yet she had no idea where she would even begin. Chloe was one thing, but Adrien? How did one talk to a boy she knew both everything and nothing about? Was he even real? Was any of it? 

“I can’t,” Marinette said. 

“You mean, you won’t.”

“Both.”

Tikki looked exasperated. “But why not? Are you afraid? Marinette, whatever issues you have with them, they are still your teammates. I know you understand that.”

“I understand that there are two children in a coma and nobody can explain to their poor families why. I understand that people lost their lives because Hawk Moth decided to finally get serious.”

“But that’s a different—”

“I understand that I don’t understand anything at all,” Marinette hissed, ashamed like she had never been before. What good was being Ladybug when Ladybug couldn’t help the people who needed her most? What good was _she_? “I let my personal feelings get in the way this time, and I paid the price for it. If Gallina hadn’t been there to stop the akuma…” Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and shrank in on herself. The walls of the toilet stall seemed close, too close. 

“Oh Marinette,” Tikki said sadly.

“There’s no world where my personal issues are more pressing than innocent people’s lives. I can’t afford to be Marinette right now, not when people— _children_ are in danger. I have to be Ladybug for them. I have to try. You’re the one who said I can’t ever give up hope.”

Tikki flushed even redder than normal. “That’s not what I meant when I said that. And you can’t choose to be one or the other any more than the sun can choose to rise in the morning.”

“There may not be a sun to rise in the morning if I don’t find a way to stop Hawk Moth soon.” She got up, her mind made up. “I’m sorry, Tikki.”

Tikki looked up at her. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”

Shame burned her ears, but Marinette forced herself to ignore it. Tikki’s resignation was somehow worse than disappointment, even though she dropped the subject and obediently phased back into Marinette’s purse. Marinette should have been grateful for it, but she found she didn’t have the energy. 

She caught her reflection in the mirror when she exited the stall and stared into tired, blue eyes she knew all too well. Marinette’s drawn, pallid face stared back at her. 

_I’m sorry,_ she thought. _You’re not the one they need._

Later, when this was all over, she would have all the time in the world to talk to Chloe and Adrien. Later, she could properly mourn the loss of something she didn’t fully understand. But there would be no later unless Ladybug ensured it. She was the only one who could put an end to Hawk Moth once and for all in the end. 

_Are you sure about that?_

Marinette looked deeply into her reflection’s eyes, eyes that searched her for an answer she didn’t want to give. They narrowed, suspicious. 

_Gallina did just fine without you._

Marinette averted her gaze. A hot pang of jealousy, anger, and shame curdled her stomach. She ran the faucet and rinsed her hands in the icy water. When she looked up, she saw her same reflection again, tired and a bit haggard, normal. Just a normal girl with a normal life thrown into disarray suddenly and violently. 

But she wasn’t normal. She didn’t have that luxury, not anymore. She was Ladybug, and she had a responsibility, and Marinette would be damned if she let herself off the hook so easily. Resolved, she left the bathroom and headed back to the pediatrics wing.

To her genuine surprise, she spotted a familiar face in the lobby inquiring with a nurse. 

“Master—I-I mean, grandpa?” Marinette said, approaching the hunched old man. 

Fu and the Chinese nurse he’d been speaking to turned their attention to Marinette, and he smiled warmly. “Ah, Marinette. I thought you might be here.” To the nurse he said, “X _ièxiè nǐ duì wǒ de bāngzhù_.”

The nurse smiled and nodded to Marinette. “ _Nín de sūnnǔ hěn piàoliang_.”

Marinette blushed. “Oh, thank you…”

When the nurse was out of earshot, she asked Fu, “What are you doing here? Is everything all right?”

“I wanted to visit the children,” Fu said in Mandarin, glancing at the other people crowding the lobby. “I assume you are here for the same reason?”

Marinette felt eyes on them, parents of sick children, and shifted her weight uncomfortably. “There was another attack this morning near my school,” she said quietly, taking his cue and slipping into Mandarin so they could speak more freely despite the French eyes and ears so close by. “I came with the little girl in the ambulance earlier.”

“Yes, I saw the news reports.”

Marinette’s heart sank. “Then you saw that new Miraculous wielder.”

Fu sighed and offered her his arm. She took it, and they walked together down the hall, the perfect portrait of a grandfather and granddaughter offering each other comfort. He was quiet as they walked slowly, passing by the various wards and offices full of people helping children with whatever ailed them. The sleep ward, Marinette was dismayed to see, was even more full than the last time she’d been by to visit Valentin. She even recognized little Manon Chamack, whom she sometimes babysat, staring at a bucket of legos while her father spoke with one of the doctors. 

“This is my fault,” Fu said at length as they paused to look in on the troubled children. “I was careless with the Miraculous.”

“Of course it’s not your fault. The only one to blame is Hawk Moth.”

“Hawk Moth would not have the Butterly Miraculous in his possession if I had done my job as Guardian from the beginning. No, my dear. I’m afraid I am to blame for all of it. I have failed spectacularly, and the ones to pay the price…”

He touched his age-spotted hand to the glass. Marinette’s heart broke at the look in his eyes as he watched the children, perhaps wondering which of them would become Hawk Moth’s next victim. 

“Please don’t say that,” she said, fighting the urge to cry. “You’ve done so much for me. I’m the one who still hasn’t stopped Hawk Moth.”

Fu sighed. “I suppose we are both struggling these days. Gallina…”

Marinette stiffened.

“This is exactly what I was afraid would happen. She and others like her could pose a great risk to you and your team.” He rubbed his wrist where the Turtle Miraculous once rested. “To be quite honest with you, I am out of my depth.”

“Master Fu…”

“I’ve lost everything, and I’ve put you and your team in grave danger. I am afraid, and I don’t know what to do.”

Marinette blinked back her tears and embraced him. “I’ll fix it. I swear I’ll fix it, all of it.”

“I know you will, no matter the cost.” He pulled back and tucked her bangs behind her ear. “But that is what scares me the most.”

Marinette was at a loss for how to respond to that, but he didn’t give her a chance to try when he continued on toward Marcella and Valentin’s shared room. Both children were surrounded by their parents, flowers, and beeping computers monitoring their vitals and brainwave activity. Fu and Marinette hovered by the open door peeking in. 

“Your burden is heavy,” Fu continued. “Too heavy. As Guardian, I am supposed to support and mentor you, but I have lost all right even to that.”

“You haven’t.” 

“I have, and I am so terribly sorry. Wayzz would be ashamed of me if he were here.”

Marinette took his hand in hers and prayed for Ladybug’s strength, for she had so little left these days. “We’ll find Wayzz and the others, and then you can ask him yourself. But I know Wayzz could never be ashamed of you, just like I could never be, either. Please, I… I know I’m asking a lot, but I really need your help.”

“I will always help you. Even now, at my lowest, I will always be here for you, just as I will be here for Chat Noir and Queen Bee, as well. But…” He glanced back at Marcella sleeping like the dead. “My role now will have to be played on the sidelines here, keeping vigil for those who cannot help themselves. I had hoped to aid you directly with Wisdom’s power, but without Wayzz, I will only be in your way.”

Marinette winced remembering Chat Noir saying something similar before he and Queen Bee ran off after the morning’s battle. Did he really feel that way?

“Go home, get some rest. You will need it,” Fu said, turning to lead her back toward the lobby. “I will call you should anything here change.”

Marinette didn’t think she could handle resting or even sitting still, but she was so bone tired and drained that she didn’t have the heart to argue with him. Her parents would be worried about her at this hour. “All right.”

“Oh, and Marinette?”

“Yes?”

He smiled sadly and clasped his wrinkled hands around his belly thoughtfully. “I know you feel as though you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, but it is when our burdens are heaviest that we must lean on others for help. You need only ask them.”

* * *

 

The day following the latest akuma attack, school was in session as normal. Marinette tried her best to pay attention as Miss Bustier lectured, but her eyes were constantly drawn to the back of Adrien’s head. Any other day and she would have basked in the chance to observe him freely, but she found little joy in the sight of him lately. 

More troubling still was that he hadn’t looked back at her once during class. 

Alya leaned over while Miss Bustier’s back was turned and whispered, “You okay, girl? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Marinette was about to brush her off when she got a look at Alya’s drawn face and the bags under her eyes. She hadn’t noticed it earlier, but no makeup could conceal what was right in front of her. “I should ask you the same thing. You look like you haven’t been sleeping.”

“Yeah, the Sapotis have been keeping me up lately.”

Marinette wanted to ask, but she heard Miss Bustier call her name then. 

“Please see me after class, all three of you,” she said.

“Wait, what?” Marinette said just as the bell rang. 

Alya gave her an apologetic look and rose to join Nino, Rose, and Juleka. Marinette wondered what she’d done now to land herself on Miss Bustier’s shit list, and she caught Adrien’s eye as he rose. Like a deer in the headlights, she stared back at him. He didn’t say a word, and after a protracted couple of seconds, he turned to leave. With no choice, Marinette gathered her books and trudged to the front of the classroom…

…where Chloe and Lila were already waiting. 

_Oh, great._

“I just wanted to check in with you on how your class project is coming along,” Miss Bustier said innocuously. 

Marinette and Chloe caught each other’s gaze, and she was instantly transported back to Chloe’s room on that fateful afternoon when their tenuous, unspoken agreement not to interact with each other had blown up in a nuclear fashion. 

“It’s great,” Lila said nonchalantly. “We’re working really well together.”

Miss Bustier, however, was not born yesterday. “Is that so? What’s your topic?”

Credit where credit was due—Lila was a fantastic liar when she wasn’t even trying. “Joan of Arc. We’re writing a feminist biography of her life.”

Chloe muttered something under her breath that sounded like it could land all three of them in detention for the rest of the year.

Miss Bustier didn’t seem to notice, and she lit up. “That’s a wonderful topic! I can’t wait to read your executive summary on Friday, all sources cited of course.”

“Of course.”

Miss Bustier looked directly at Marinette, who had been holding her breath the entire conversation. “Marinette? Something you’d like to add?”

“W-What? Oh! Um, go team?”

Miss Bustier paused as she surveyed the three girls, who all avoided looking at each other. “All right, then. Good luck with your research.”

Marinette gripped her book bag so tightly the strap was in danger of disintegrating to dust. She made it to the door when Miss Bustier called out to them one last time. 

“Oh, and girls? I’m so pleased to see you three finding a way to work together. I’m sure by the end of the project, you’ll be happy to have had the opportunity to spend more time together.”

Lila rolled her eyes and Chloe coughed to cover up a curse. When they were safely in the hall and out of earshot, it was Marinette who stepped up and tried to make a case. If she didn’t, she was afraid she would be stuck with all the work by herself, and she did not have time for school when Hawk Moth was still out there and the Miraculous were lost. 

“Guys, I think we should maybe take a couple hours after school and—”

“Joan of Arc?” Chloe interrupted. “Are you kidding me?”

Lila looked at her coldly. “Oh please, I didn’t see you jumping to throw her off the scent. You should be thanking me.”

“I’ll _thank_ you to go ahead and write that executive summary, _sources cited_ by the way, since you’re so hot for history all of a sudden and didn’t bother to run it by us first.”

“I kept us out of detention, or worse. As far as I’m concerned, my contribution is done.”

“Guys!” Marinette raised her voice to be heard. 

“What?!” Lila and Chloe shouted. 

Marinette was so taken aback that she forgot what she was going to say. Lila threw up her hands. 

“God, you’re such a meek little bunny. I’m out of here,” Lila said. 

“No, wait—”

Chloe silenced Marinette with her arm out. “Let her go. She’s not even close to worth it.”

There was an awkward moment when Marinette was about to acknowledge that Chloe had a point, and then she remembered they were not speaking to each other. Which made what Marinette was about to do all the more awkward.

“We have to do this project,” she said. “We have to put in the time.”

Chloe made a soft sound of disgust and crossed her arms. “Whatever, I’m busy today.”

“And you think I’m not?”

“I don’t see an akuma around.”

“Well, what do you have that’s keeping you so busy?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe _getting back all the stolen Miraculous_. Some of us are taking this seriously, for your information.”

“I am taking this seriously!” 

A few students passing by stopped to gawk at their argument, and Marinette cringed. The last thing she wanted was for someone to accidentally overhear something they should not. Chloe didn’t even bother responding and stalked off toward the stairs. 

“What the—Chloe!” Marinette dashed after her. “You can’t just walk away!”

“And yet, I look amazing doing it.”

Marinette darted in front of her and cut off her escape. 

“Move,” Chloe hissed. 

“No.”

“I swear to god, if you don’t get the hell out of my way…”

“You’ll what? Ignore me some more? Tell me I’m worthless? I heard you the first time.”

Chloe hesitated, and Marinette knew she’d said the right thing, as much as it hurt her pride to do so. 

“One hour after school, that’s it. We knock this summary out, and then you can go back to hating my guts,” Marinette said. 

One hour. She could suck it up and deal with Chloe for one hour. 

“I’m busy after school, I already told you.” 

Marinette was about to protest, but Chloe held up a finger for silence. 

“I can spare an hour before dinner, _that’s it_. But you’re doing the typing. I just got my nails done.”

If their relationship hadn’t been the equivalent of a burning pile of compost for the past couple of weeks, Marinette may have pointed out that Chloe had fought an akuma yesterday just fine even with her overpriced manicure, but she held her tongue. She still had some sense of self-preservation. 

“Fine, whatever.”

Chloe set her jaw, and for a moment Marinette thought she would snap at her again. She wondered what else Chloe could possibly say to make her feel even more useless after the other night at Fu’s place, but didn’t get a chance to dwell on it for long. 

“Cafe Violette, 6 p.m. If you’re late, I’m leaving,” Chloe said as she brushed past Marinette down the stairs. 

She was gone before Marinette could even think to respond. 

* * *

 

Chloe was in a Mood™ when she all but ran into Adrien storming down the stairs after first period. 

“Whoa there,” he said. 

Chloe looked like she was about to snap at him, but then she saw it was him and relaxed a little. “Ugh, don’t even get me started.”

“Something happen?”

Chloe waved him off and started off again. “Same old bullshit, and I don’t have time for it.”

Adrien didn’t have to wonder what she meant after the way Miss Bustier had asked Lila, Marinette, and her to stay after class. Unconsciously, he looked around for that familiar head of black hair and splash of pink, but Marinette was nowhere in sight, and Chloe was still walking. He jogged to catch up. 

“Hey, what are you doing after school?” she asked out of the blue. 

“Uh, I have two hours of piano. Why?”

“Great, skip it.”

“I can’t skip my piano lesson.”

“Not even to go jewelry shopping with your BFF?”

Adrien caught a glimpse of Pollen poking her fuzzy head out of Chloe’s handbag and preening at him. If they weren’t in public, he was sure she would have zipped out and snuggled him. 

“Jewelry? … _Oh_.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, _oh_. Seriously? What is this, amateur hour? Am I literally the only one doing any work at all?”

“I’m sorry. I know I said I’d help hunt down the other Miraculous, but I really can’t bail on piano or my father will skin me.” He kept his voice down as they passed Max and Kim watching Alix do skateboard tricks on the stair railing and waved to them. “What about after?”

Chloe grimaced. “Can’t. I have to work on that stupid history report…”

“Okay, well, I could go on my own after. You mentioned you already checked out a couple pawn shops, right?”

“Hah, yeah, no.”

“What do you mean, no?”

She gave him a seedy once-over that made his skin crawl—entirely the point, as much as he hated to admit it. “Not to be crass, but you kind of shine brighter than the ‘We buy gold’ posters.”

Somewhere in his shirt pocket, Plagg hissed mightily. Adrien shoved him back under his lapel before he could make a scene in public. 

“I have a certain feline intrigue I can use to my advantage,” Adrien pouted. “I can be discreet.”

Chloe actually laughed out loud—a tummy-clutching, head-throw-backing, barking kind of guffaw Adrien had heard her mother use on the rare occasion when Audrey Bourgeois found something truly and shamefully ludicrous. 

“Okay, laugh it up,” Adrien said, miffed even though the sight of Chloe genuinely laughing lifted his mood a little. “But you’re not exactly the type to blend in at a place like that, either.”

Chloe calmed down and wiped her eye. “Wow, I needed that.” 

“I’m here to serve,” he said in a clipped tone. 

“Of course you are.” She smirked. “And anyway, don’t worry about me. I have an in.”

“What does that mean?”

“Hm, wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Chlo…”

The bell rang, and Adrien had no choice but to leave it at that for now. Chloe could handle herself, of that much he was certain, at least. Between the two of them, he had always been much more certain of Chloe than of himself. He admired her indomitable courage that only seemed to grow more determined over the years the farther she drifted from the ones closest to her. Adrien’s drifting had only ever led him astray and alone, and it was all he could do to cling to the lifelines he knew. 

His gaze swept the courtyard, searching for a flicker of blue eyes, and he didn’t even try to catch himself this time. He’d thought he could face Marinette this morning, had been ready for it, but the way she looked at him like she wasn’t even in her own skin had given him pause and rattled his nerve. 

Sighing, he trailed dismally after Chloe and the other students back to class. Next time he had a minute with Marinette, he would heed Kagami’s advice and talk to her. Really talk to her. And if she tried to run off again, he would ask her to make time. But it couldn’t go on like this, or surely he would lose his mind—if he didn’t lose her first. 

* * *

 

A chance to talk to Marinette before the end of the day was far more elusive than Adrien imagined it to be, and before he knew it, the final bell rang. He did not share his last class with Marinette, and when he went to find her, she was nowhere in sight. Cursing his perpetual bad luck, he pulled out his phone to text her. 

He was distracted as he scrolled through his contacts and did not notice Lila, Kim, and Mylène walking toward him. 

“Hey dude, you wanna hit the Bowl-O-Dome?” Kim said. “Bunch of us are forming teams, it’s gonna be epic!”

“Thanks, but I have piano,” Adrien said automatically, looking up just as he was passing them. 

A glimmer caught his eye—Lila’s necklace—and he followed it, turning. She smiled sweetly. 

“That’s too bad. We’ll miss you,” she said.

“Hey, Alya! Alix! We’re going bowling, do you want to come?” Mylène waved to the other girls as they filed out of a different classroom.

“Um, yeah,” Adrien said, frowning. 

_Lila’s necklace…_

He felt like he’d seen it before somewhere recently, somewhere else. But where?

She touched the sunstone gem at her throat, and it seemed to shimmer under her touch. 

“Laaaaaame,” Kim booed at Adrien. “C’mon, Lila. We gotta find another teammate.”

“Wait, Lila,” Adrien said, reaching for her. 

“Yes?” She blinked guilelessly, but there was a sharp glint in her eyes, almost suspicious. It made Adrien nervous—but then, Lila always made him a little nervous ever since the Volpina incident no matter how hard he tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.

His eyes flickered to her necklace again, trying to place it. “Never mind. Sorry. Have fun at bowling.”

“It’s too bad you can’t make it,” she said. 

Kim soon swept Mylène and her off, along with a bunch of their other classmates, for a fun afternoon of procrastinating, and Adrien watched them go. He should have been bummed to be missing out on a social event, but it wasn’t the bowling that kept distracting him as his piano teacher drilled him with a fast-paced Chopin piece that had his fingers flying over the keys. Her sharp-tongued instruction forced Adrien to focus on the lesson, lest he make too many mistakes and risk her complaining to his father about his lackadaisical attitude. 

There were twenty minutes left in his lesson as he neared the demanding coda of Chopin’s Concerto No. 2 in F minor when, in the haunting throes of the coda, he felt a phantom ache behind his eyes and his fingers spasmed. The instructor tutted her displeasure, but Adrien quickly recovered and danced softly through the sonata solo. He did not see the sheet music in front of him, though. Instead, he saw a light so blinding it made his head spin. And he remembered.

Gallina had worn a choker that burned like a miniature sun, even Miraculous in its luster. 

A choker that, though dulled in its dormant state, still shone with a rippling heat if he bothered to look. It was a nice color on her. He’d told her as much. 

_“You like it? It’s new.”_

No, not Gallina— _Lila_.

The piano instructor tapped her nails in annoyance, bringing Adrien out of his thoughts long enough to pick up the frenetic pace of the piece. But Adrien’s fingers spasmed as his body went rigid, and he missed his transition with an ungraceful key mash. His instructor rose from her chair, affronted, but he barely heard her haranguing his lack of discipline.

_Lila might be Gallina._

Which meant…

“I don’t feel well,” Adrien interrupted his instructor. “I’m sorry, can we please end the lesson a few minutes early today?”

She was not happy about it, but she gathered her sheet music and showed herself out of his room. 

“Finally!” Plagg complained. “Thought she’d never leave. I’m starving. Hellooooo, kid?”

Plagg hovered in front of Adrien, and Adrien stared back at him. Luminous, green eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

“What,” Plagg said. 

Adrien swallowed. “I think…”

He had trouble finding the words. If he said it aloud, if he gave it shape and form…

“Adrien, _what_? Spit it out already.”

“Gallina’s Miraculous… Do you know what it is?”

Plagg’s hackles raised, and he bared his tiny cat fangs. “The Rooster Miraculous is a necklace. Why?”

“Does it have a golden stone in it?”

“A sunstone. Why? What’s going on?”

_Oh god._

Adrien sat down on the piano bench and clutched his head to keep it from spinning. “I think I might know who Gallina is.”

“What?! You coulda led with that, you know!”

Adrien shook his head. “No, I mean, I don’t know for sure, but…”

But it was too much of a coincidence. Now that he’d made the connection, he couldn’t unsee it. 

“I have to be sure.” Adrien got up and headed for his father’s private study. 

“Hey, wait for me!”

He passed Nathalie in the hall, who looked more steely than normal. 

“Adrien, I was just coming to speak to you,” she said. “Your piano instructor stormed out of here a few minutes ago.”

“Not now, Nathalie.” Adrien blew past her and knocked on Gabriel’s door. 

“Yes, now. You can’t shirk your lessons. You know better than that.”

Adrien ignored her, his mind singularly focused on his task. Footsteps approached the door, and Gabriel swung it open. He looked down at Adrien, and it must have been a while since Adrien had last seen his father in person, because Gabriel’s broad shoulders and towering height almost made him lose his nerve right there. 

“Do you need something?” Gabriel demanded in an unsympathetic tone. 

Adrien twisted the Miraculous Ring around his finger, a nervous habit. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Father. I’d like permission to go out for dinner tonight.”

“Absolutely not,” Nathalie interrupted. “Not after the stunt you pulled with your piano instructor.”

“Out?” Gabriel asked, ignoring Nathalie as he studied his son. 

“For dinner. I won’t be late, just… Just some friends are meeting up for bowling, and—”

“Which is it? Dinner, or bowling with your friends?”

A cold chill crept down Adrien’s spine. Gabriel had not blinked once nor broken their shared gaze. 

“Both,” Adrien said, hoping Gabriel didn’t hear his heart pounding in his ears. “It’s dinner at the Bowl-O-Dome.”

Gabriel eyed him curiously. Adrien was no stranger to his father’s skepticism and protective tendencies, but this was not quite that. There was something unfamiliar in Gabriel’s study of him, something clinical and observant, like Adrien was not entirely what he had been expecting on the other side of the door.

“Fine,” he said at length. 

It took Adrien a second to grasp that his father had given his rare permission. He’d been fully prepared to sneak out as Chat Noir regardless, but it seemed that would not be necessary. 

“Thank you,” Adrien said, stunned.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m busy.” Gabriel made to close the door, but Nathalie’s heels clacked on the tile and her arm shot out to hold the door. 

“Sir, while I have you, I want to remind you of your dinner meeting tonight with the rest of the executive team. I’ve already called for a car.”

“Cancel it.”

Adrien, who had decided not to push his luck, had begun to slip away before Gabriel could change his mind, but he abruptly turned back in surprise. Had his father just shirked a _work_ engagement?

“I’m sorry?” Nathalie said, equally bewildered. 

“You heard me. Cancel it. I have a lot to do tonight, and I don’t want to be disturbed.”

Nathalie sputtered. “But sir, this meeting has been on your calendar for weeks. You were the one to request it in advance of the quarterly earnings call happening next week. You can’t be serious—”

“The last I checked, I am your boss—not the other way around. I gave you a directive, and I expect you to execute it. I won’t repeat myself again.” 

“ _Gabriel_ —”

He shut the door in her face, and Adrien heard the lock click into place. There was an awkward moment of silence as Nathalie and Adrien stood dumbly in the hall, neither quite sure how to process what had just happened. As long as Adrien remembered, Gabriel had never prioritized anything over the management of his company. What could possibly be so important as to merit such an out of character departure?

Nathalie straightened her dark blazer and stood up taller. She met Adrien’s gaze, but her usual stony façade was a thin veneer veiling her troubled thoughts. 

“Back by midnight, please,” she said brusquely. “It’s a school night.”

“Yeah…”

He didn’t notice the way Nathalie’s gaze dropped to his ring before she stalked off, leaving him to his reeling thoughts.

“Hey, snap out of it!” Plagg hissed from his lapel. “I thought you said you knew who Gallina is. What’s this crap about going bowling now? And by the way, I’m _still_ starving.”

Adrien shifted gears back to the much more urgent matter of confirming Gallina’s secret identity, and he rushed back to his room. “There’s cheese for you in the mini fridge. And we’re not going bowling, obviously.”

“Then what’s the deal?” Plagg swallowed whole a truly enormous wedge of cheese. 

“The deal is I need to be 100% sure before I jump to conclusions.” _Unlike last time._

He still cringed at the way he’d revealed himself to Ladybug without her consent or forewarning, and how much it had screwed things up between them. This time, he wouldn’t make the same mistake. He would be careful. He would have a plan. He would figure out what the hell he was going to do if Gallina really turned out to be the girl who had been the cause of Marinette’s akumatization, the girl who had gotten under Ladybug’s skin and brought out the worst in her. 

“Oooh, someone’s real mature,” Plagg drawled sarcastically. 

_No_ , Adrien thought. _But it’s time I start trying to be._

“Plagg, Claws out!”

* * *

 

Luka was waiting for Chloe when she emerged from her ride share in an unfamiliar part of downtown she normally would not have been caught dead in. Or rather, she may have been caught literally dead in it if she was anyone other than fabulous, powerful Queen Bee under her perfect blow out.

“Hey,” he said, pocketing his phone and approaching her on the sidewalk. “You made it.”

Made it, as if she had performed one of the Twelve Labors in Ubering here. Luka really had no idea who he was dealing with, and for his ignorance alone she did the mature thing and didn’t harp on it. Instead, she flipped her ponytail and sauntered past him. “I can do anything I set my mind to.”

He trailed after her, smiling softly. “I can believe that.”

“So, where to? Last time I didn’t find anything, so I’m expecting better luck this time.”

Luka took her demands in stride and pointed down the grey street. “A couple pawn shops like before, but I also thought we should check out some more specialty shops. There’s a few jewelers that’re known to deal in cash.”

“What, like, off the books? Is that even legal?”

Luka shrugged. “Who’s gonna stop them?”

Chloe looked around at the clearly working-class people walking by them, a crowd very different from what she was used to seeing. 

_No one around here, that’s for damn sure._

After the first time she’d gone out with Luka hunting Miraculous, she learned her lesson about dressing down. Instead of her usual designer couture and bright colors, she wore a simple white blouse and jeans over her plainest strappy sandals. Pollen would have to be content riding in a beige Michael Kors purse that was three years ancient and which Chloe was mildly offended to find still sitting in her closet. But desperate times called for desperate measures. 

Luka dressed in his usual nondescript hoodie, a Rolling Stones T-shirt, cargo pants, and enough faded, woven bracelets to earn him free admission to Burning Man, probably. Not that Chloe would know. She wondered if he had any weird tattoos, and then chided herself on playing into stereotypes like the last time. But also, she really did wonder.

“How was your day?” Luka asked casually as they waited to cross a busy street. 

Chloe resisted the urge to snort. Small talk? Seriously? “Mostly disappointing, as usual. You?”

He looked at her thoughtfully. “Something happen at school?”

Chloe thought about Marinette, and then frowned deeply. “It’s nothing. Come on, green means go.”

They crossed the street, and Luka discreetly moved to her other side so he was closer to the street. Chloe tensed at the feeling of his hand brushing across her shoulders to maneuver past her, but the contact was as fleeting as it was innocuous. 

“There it is,” Luka said before she could comment on the impromptu act of chivalry. 

The jewelry store advertised its wares in the windows, mostly gold and silver baubles, and many of them gaudy. Chloe had half a mind to turn away, but Luka was already going inside and holding the door so she could follow. 

The aisles were made up of locked, glass cases filled with everything from figurine collectibles to brooches to more traditional jewelry pieces. The further back they went, the better the quality appeared to Chloe. 

“So, what’re we looking for, exactly?” Luka asked as he perused a set of five rings modeled after the ones from the old Captain Planet cartoon displayed on a manikin hand. 

“I told you before, I’ll know it when I see it.”

Or rather, Pollen would know. Chloe had no idea what the other Miraculous looked like, but Pollen would recognize them on sight. At least, that was what she had been promised. But she couldn’t let Luka see Pollen. 

“Hey, go check that side of the store,” Chloe said. 

Luka’s dark eyes warmed with mirth. “For what? Will I know it when I see it?”

“Shut up, it’s an expression.”

“That still doesn’t help me, though.”

The space between the aisles was narrow, and he was half a head taller than her even slouched over. Chloe huffed. 

“Look I just…want to look by myself, okay?”

“Okay. You can just say so next time, it’s no big deal. Come find me when you’re done.”

As easy as that, he bowed out gracefully. Chloe watched him go, feeling strangely bereft. 

“That was nice of him!” Pollen whispered from Chloe’s handbag. 

“I guess,” Chloe said, not feeling very nice at all watching him turn the corner to the next aisle. Whatever, she didn’t have time to worry about his feelings right now. If she was the only one actually doing the job Fu had mandated, then she needed to have something to show for it. “Pollen, take a look, but stay hidden. I don’t know if there are cameras in here.”

“You got it, Sweetness! Let’s see…”

They combed three aisles before Pollen began to buzz excitedly. 

“What is it?” Chloe asked. 

“Look, look! That necklace has a bee on it. Oh! Honey Bee, let’s get it, can we please?” 

Chloe tried very hard not to curse out her handbag, lest there really be cameras recording and she look like a whack job. “We’re not here to shop for ourselves! Ugh, as if I’d be caught dead in anything from a place like this…”

“I think it’d look _bee_ -autiful on you.”

_Then I’m definitely not getting it._

“Just pay attention, okay? Jesus Christ.”

“Fiiiiiine.”

Chloe passed the barred counter, and the man sitting behind it was counting out stacks of cash with a calculator. He glanced at her, his eyes lingering a little too long on her figure, and Chloe quickly ducked into another aisle out of his sight. 

“There is literally nothing harder to do in the entire world than be a teenaged girl,” she muttered. 

Without warning, Pollen zipped out of Chloe’s bag and pressed her face to a nearby glass case. “Roarr!”

Chloe nearly had an aneurysm as she made a swipe for Pollen. “Pollen! What the hell?!”

Pollen phased through her fingers and returned to the glass. “There! That’s Roarr, right there!”

It took Chloe a moment to realize Pollen must have been referring to another kwami, so she pressed her face to the glass next to Pollen’s to examine the magenta panjas bracelet. “Ew, seriously?”

It was garish, like a piece Barbie may have picked out at Hot Topic. 

“Oh! Look, there’s Sass and Barkk.” Pollen flew down the aisle a short ways and buzzed in excitement. “And Longg, too!”

“Keep your voice down!” Chloe hissed. “So all of these are Miraculous?”

“You bet your stripes they are!”

Finally, some good news. “Are there any more here?”

“Any more what?” Luka appeared at the end of the aisle and approached her. 

Chloe blanched, but Pollen was fast when she wanted to be and disappeared back in her bag faster than the eye could see. “Nothing! I, uh, found what I’m looking for.”

She pointed out the four pieces Pollen had identified. 

“Huh,” Luka said as he observed the black and orange collar necklace that secretly housed the kwami of the Dog Miraculous. “They’re…unique.”

“Wow, way to judge,” Chloe said, smirking. 

He smiled back. “I guess it’s just not my style preference.”

“Doesn’t have to be. Let’s grab them and get out of here.”

Paying in cash was something Chloe detested. It somehow made her feel unclean, like she was buying drugs or pirated DVDs or anything from a food truck.

“What’s wrong with food trucks?” Luka asked as they left the store with the four Miraculous tucked safely in his black backpack, because they wouldn’t fit in her impractically small purse and it was never a good idea to walk around this part of town with a shopping bag in plain sight. 

“I don’t trust any food prepared in a moving vehicle, and neither should you.”

Luka laughed.

“Whatever, laugh all you want. I’m not getting salmonella.”

“Okay, so what do you do for food on the go?”

“See, that’s your fist mistake. When you eat, it should be at a table sitting down. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

“You can get salmonella from food whether you eat it walking to work or sitting in a Michelin star restaurant.”

“Listen, you might have an iron stomach doing…whatever you do.” She gestured up and down at him. “But if I put something in my mouth, it better be 4.0.”

“4.0?” He paused. “Ah. Grade A. Cute pun.”

“Please, I _never_ pun.”

“Whatever you say, Majesty.”

That shut her up long enough to bask in that extremely appropriate nickname. Chloe had never been much for nicknames or pet names of any kind until she met Pollen, who called her any number of bee-inspired names. With Luka, she not-so-grudgingly admitted to herself that she liked the honorific. Maybe coming from anyone else it might sound mocking or pejorative, but there was something vulnerable and sincere about him that reminded her a little of how Adrien used to be before Emilie’s accident. 

“I do say.” She smiled up at him as they waited at a corner crosswalk. “Where to next?”

He held her gaze just a moment too long. “Well, now that you’ve reclaimed some of your crown jewels, I need to make a quick stop on the way to the next place if you have time.”

Chloe checked her phone. She still had an hour before she was scheduled to meet up with Marinette to work on the history project. “What kind of place?”

He grinned, a glimmer of quiet excitement in his dark eyes. “You’ll see.”

_He has pretty eyes._

Chloe bit her tongue at the inane thought, but she followed him across the street without a fuss.

* * *

 

As much as Lila would have liked to continue spending time with her classmates, she was forced to cut the afternoon short due to a prior engagement. Any other occasion and she may have gracefully excused herself from attending, but this concerned her father’s work, meaning it concerned his image. And nothing was more important to him than his image. 

“Like father, like daughter,” she said as she finished touching up her makeup in her bathroom. 

Orikko floated next to her. “How’s that?”

Lila studied her reflection in the mirror, taking in every contour, the deep, forest green of her eyes, a mouth trained for smiling. A pretty face, a distracting face. “It’s always been this way.”

“Just because something has always been a certain way doesn’t mean it must continue to be.” He floated between her face and the mirror, blocking her reflection. 

“No wonder you’re a god. You’re full of platitudes.”

Orikko’s dark eyes bored into hers. “I may not be human, but I know humans. And I know you most of all, Sunshine.”

“What do you know?” There was an edge of anticipation in her voice that even Lila did not quite comprehend. 

“I know there’s a light in you, a wildfire that burns bright. It’s why I Chose you. But while a bright light can illuminate the path forward, a light that shines too brightly can blind better than the deepest darkness. They’re not so different, you know.”

“What is?”

“Darkness and light. In the end, everything returns to ashes.”

“That’s bleak.”

“All beginnings seem so when the path ahead is long and arduous. You’ll see.” He touched her nose with a delicate wing, and she felt a spark between them. “You’ll see everything, if you so choose.”

“Lila? We’re ready to go, are you coming down?” Gia called from downstairs. 

Orikko phased into Lila’s maroon satin clutch, and she was left to check her reflection one final time. She leaned forward, and it seemed to her that the color in her cheeks flared brighter than it had before. 

_What is there to choose? I already have._

She decided not to press Orikko. He was a mystifying creature on the best of days, and she had places to be right now. 

A half hour later, Lila followed both her parents out of their family car up the driveway of a large, white stone mansion uptown. She wore a maroon party dress, heels, and a pretty smile as she walked into the heart of tonight’s battle behind Stefano. They would be having dinner with the Japanese ambassador to France, and he hoped to forge a meaningful connection with her. One never knew what doors might open in the future. 

“Mrs. Tsurugi,” Stefano greeted when the three of them were admitted inside the Spartan home. “Thank you for inviting my family and me to your home. And may I say you look stunning in that shade of violet.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles politely. 

“Please, call me Junko. We will be working together from now on.” She smiled politely behind her black glasses. “My husband, Nobu.”

Introductions were exchanged, and Lila politely greeted both Tsurugis before they all retired to the dining room for drinks and aperitifs. Nobu was a short, plump man with a heavy Japanese accent, but he had a kind, soft face. Lila instantly decided he spent his marriage deferring to his much more formidable wife.

“And who is this lovely lady?” Stefano asked when they arrived in the yellow-painted dining room. 

“Ah, this is our daughter, Kagami,” Nobu said.

At which point Lila literally had to bite her tongue not to burst out laughing, because of course. Of course they would meet again. Fate had always been a creature of low cunning.

Kagami wore a smart pinstripe suit and a white blouse that, admittedly, flattered her athletic figure and pixie cut. She locked eyes with Lila, and there was no mistaking the spark of familiarity there that ignited something under Lila’s skin like digging needles. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kagami said politely as she exchange greetings with Lila’s parents. “Lila.”

“Kagami,” Lila said, smiling sweetly. 

Kagami did not return her smile.

“Oh, you two know each other?” Gia said. 

“We have a mutual friend,” Kagami said. “Adrien Agreste.”

“Ah, yes, Gabriel’s son. A well-mannered young man,” Junko said. 

“Most days,” Lila quipped. 

Stefano shot her a look, but Kagami cracked a smirk. Lila decided then that maybe this dinner party wouldn’t be a complete waste of an evening, after all. 

* * *

 

“A music store?” Chloe said, running her fingers over a snare drum. 

“ _The_ music store,” Luka corrected. He made his way toward the back.

“For what?” Chloe said under her breath. 

Pollen popped her head out of the purse. “For dancing, obviously!”

Chloe scoffed. “I’ll be dancing out of here in a hot second if this turns out to be a waste of time.”

But she followed Luka to the back of the store all the same. It was a cramped space packed to the gills with all manner instruments and musical paraphernalia. Chloe recognized many of the instruments, from tiny piccolos to entire drum sets, but there were just as many she did not recognize. Other patrons were busy testing out some of the instruments, and Chloe hurried along so she wouldn’t have to listen to their tuneless blowing and strumming.

Luka was talking to a staff person behind the counter who disappeared through a door in the back as Chloe approached.

“So, what’s the point of us being here?” Chloe asked. 

“I have to pick up my mom’s cello,” Luka said. “See anything you like?”

“You mean, like, to play? Definitely not.”

“Not a musical person?”

“Does iTunes count?”

Luka chuckled. “You never played an instrument at all? Not even when you were a little girl?”

Chloe shrugged. “Violin for a couple years, but I hated it.”

“Why’d you do it if you didn’t like it?”

“Let’s just say my mother knows best. Or at least, the argument is over when she gets the last word.”

Luka nodded, but he didn’t ask, and Chloe was glad for it. She didn’t want to invade a place he liked with her mother’s specter. 

Luka wandered to a nearby display and carefully picked up a rough-looking violin and bow. The price tag displayed next to it betrayed its less-than-stellar condition, but he brought it to rest under his chin nonetheless. Chloe shot him a look. 

“You play?” It came out sounding more like an accusation than a question. 

“Only when forced.”

“Nobody’s forcing you.”

He just smiled and drew the bow over the strings, producing a high, pleasant reverberation. A few notes in, and Chloe recognized the melody to Frère Jacques, albeit with a bit more flair and style than the simplistic children’s song.

“There’s something weirdly anachronistic about seeing you play the most classical instrument known to man,” Chloe said.

“I’m _Japanese_.”

“You have blue hair and you wear black nail polish.”

“Pretty sure you’re courting a stereotype there.”

“You’re the one who brought up being Japanese.”

Luka laughed and lowered the violin. “Touché.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

He returned the violin to its rack and moved next to a standing keyboard. He cracked his knuckles for show, and Chloe was honestly this close to ditching him. 

“I take requests, by the way,” he said. 

“Hard pass.”

“Hard pass,” Luka repeated, plunking out a tune experimentally. 

“ _Haaaaard paaaassssss  
Gonna leave your sorry ass.”_

Chloe bit back a smile at his improv singing. “You’re damn right I will. What’s taking so long? I thought you said you were just here to pick up the cello.”

_“Sometimes babe  
Good things come to those who wait.”_

“Yeah, that doesn’t even really rhyme.”

Luka jammed out a few more chords as he adjusted the settings on the keyboard to modify the sound output. What had begun as a classical piano sound now morphed into a synth dream-like stream of conscious. 

“I feel like I’m in a Philip K. Dick anthology,” Chloe said. She wandered closer to the keyboard and leaned her hip on it.

“I can honestly say I’ve never gotten that feedback before.” Luka held the last chord and looked up at her through his lashes. “First time for everything.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

Chloe wasn’t sure exactly how she got looped in to going along with whatever this one-man jam session was, but he soon lost interest in the keyboard and began eyeing the drums. 

“How many instruments do you even play?” she asked. 

He selected a triangle and tapped it with the metal baton. A clear, resonant note echoed that Chloe felt down to her ankles. “A few.”

“The triangle doesn’t count.”

“There are orchestra professionals who’d take you to court over a statement like that. But sure, you pick one.”

Oh, she’d pick one, all right. Looking around, she pointed to a hot pink electric guitar. “That one.”

Luka stifled a laugh. “You know, I was hoping you’d go for the Strawberry Shortcake.”

“The _what_?”

“That’s her name.”

“The fuck it is.”

“All great guitars have names, and she’s no exception.” Luka carefully lifted the guitar off the rack, slung the strap over his shoulder, and returned to her. Sure enough, ‘Strawberry Shortcake’ was embossed in glittery, flowing letters across the body of the guitar. 

“Okay, today I learned something I wish I could bleach out of my brain forever,” Chloe said.

Luka was all smiles as he tested the strings and tuned them minutely. “Maybe I can do you one better.”

He began to play, and Chloe instantly recognized the deep chords. 

“You _love_ this, don’t you?” she said, horrified at what she had unwittingly unleashed.

_“I saw him dancin’ there by the record machine.  
I knew he musta been about seventeen.”_

Luka had a rich tenor voice used to singing over the guitar, and he was good. Okay, he was _really_ good. And whatever cute skill he’d demonstrated on the violin before, he was clearly at home and most comfortable on the guitar. 

He got to the chorus, and Chloe knew she had to put a stop to it before they got kicked out of the store. “Okay, okay! I get it, you’re good. Point taken.”

“There’s no point,” he said. “We’re just having a little fun. You know fun, right?”

“Ha ha. So what are you, like, in a band?”

“I’m, like, in a band, yeah.”

“And here I thought your Green Day soft grunge look was just for show.”

“You’re full of compliments today, huh?”

“I could use a few more to fill my daily quota, actually. Feel free to contribute.”

He clutched his heart in mock affront. “I composed a four-line song for you! And it rhymed!”

Oh god, were they bantering? They were fucking bantering.

“Put that thing away already. I’m getting cavities just looking at it,” she said.

“By your command.” He did a little bow and returned Strawberry Shortcake to her resting place. “Next?”

So he wanted to show off a little. Okay, two could play at that game. Chloe looked around for something she was sure he’d never be able to play passably well. “Play that.”

Luka approached the Celtic harp and frowned. “This?”

“Problem?”

“No, I just like asking for confirmation.” He lifted the harp and took a seat to set it on his knee. After an experimental few plucks at the strings, he strummed a major scale. Pausing, he glanced at Chloe one last time, and then began to play. 

It was simplistic and soft, a tune she didn’t recognize but didn’t need to. It was such a departure from the jagged rock and roll of the electric guitar, delicately deafening, that she felt it in her fingertips. Unbidden, she remembered the first time she ever met Luka. He’d been a stranger in her arms, gathering her tears on his shoulder, offering a comfort she hadn’t known she needed from someone she never wanted to meet. And it was over far too soon. 

“That bad?” he asked when she said nothing. 

“What? Oh, no, it was fine. I mean, nice. It was nice.”

He held her gaze a moment before setting the harp back on its stand. 

“How did you learn to play so many instruments, anyway?” Chloe asked. 

“My parents used to be in a band together. Juleka and I were raised to music.”

“Your parents are rock stars?”

“Once upon a time. My mom’s still a musician and gives lessons. I don’t know if my dad still plays.”

Chloe heard the clues he dropped, but chose not to comment. It was none of her business, and she knew a thing or two about sad boys and their glacially distant fathers. She bit her lip.

“Well, this wasn’t the total waste of time I thought it would be,” Chloe said. “You have some talent, I guess.”

“High praise coming from the queen,” he teased. 

Chloe looked at him seriously. “Play for me again some time.”

“Of course. Any time.”

Luka picked up his mom’s cello, and Chloe checked the time, which instantly sank her mood.

It was time to meet up with Marinette.

* * *

 

Dinner was excruciatingly boring. Kagami maintained her perfect posture and ate quietly while Stefano regaled her parents with talk of everything from personal travels to Italian politics. His grandiloquent storytelling was tiresome, but he had a certain charisma that held her parents’ attention. Kagami just didn’t care. 

And neither, it appeared, did Lila. 

She put on a good show, but as soon as their parents were distracted by each other, she was content to fade to the background and let the mask slip a little. She covered up a yawn by wiping her mouth with a napkin and politely poked at her food, but Kagami guessed Lila was as bored as she was. 

Lila must have felt Kagami’s gaze on her and looked up. They shared a glance that conveyed more than words, but Lila remained guarded and placid. Casting a discreet glance at her mother and finding her enraptured by the conversation, Kagami jerked her head subtly toward the door. Lila set her fork down and pushed her plate away. 

“Mom, can I please be excused? I’m feeling a little dizzy,” Lila said demurely. 

Gia looked at her daughter, appropriately concerned and sympathetic. “Of course, honey. Do you need to lie down?”

Kagami was quick on the uptake. “I can show her to a guest room.”

Junko would not be pleased by Kagami’s early departure, but considering they had guests, hospitality won out over decorum. “Yes, Kagami, please do.”

“I apologize for the interruption,” Lila said.

The two girls were out of the dining room and headed down the hall soon after, their parents’ voices fast fading behind them. 

“Nice performance,” Kagami said once they were out of earshot. “I wasn’t sure if you were up to the task.”

“If you knew me at all, you’d know how insulting that sounds,” Lila said. 

Kagami didn’t know Lila at all, really, but what little she’d seen of her tonight and at Adrien’s party began to paint a very specific picture. People, however, were not a game of paint-by-numbers, and something told her that Lila especially would balk at such a trivialization of her character. 

“How rude of me,” Kagami said. “I’ll have to make it up to you somehow.”

Lila let out a sharp breath. “Oh, yeah? Are you going to call me a ride home?”

So Lila was kind of a pill. At least there was something to unpack there to keep things interesting. From the way their parents were eating each other up, they had nothing but time to kill this evening. 

“I was thinking more along the lines of offering you a drink and a chance to reclaim some dignity after your Flip Cup performance, but if you’d rather go lie down alone, be my guest.”

“I recall that I beat you at Flip Cup.”

“I recall that you tried.”

True to form, Lila rose to the challenge. “Okay, fine. A rematch it is. But I want a glass of Chianti for the inconvenience.”

“And here I thought you were more of a Franzia vintage kind of girl.”

“Not in this dress I’m not.”

Kagami smirked. “Not in any dress you’re not, I think.”

She led Lila to the game parlor in the veranda and examined the wine cooler while Lila admired the billiards table. 

“You play?” Lila asked. 

“I’m not raiding my father’s nice liquor cabinet to poke balls with sticks.” She selected a bottle. “No Chianti, but how about this?”

Lila grinned when she read the label. “This is a 2008 Barolo.”

“And I care because…?”

She took the bottle from Kagami. “Because tonight you’re losing your fine wine virginity along with your dignity when I beat you. Glasses?”

An open bottle later, and Kagami had to admit the wine was very smooth and fine going down. She wasn’t much of a drinker in general, but the French seemed to have quite the snobby palette. The Italians, too, if Lila’s satisfied smile was anything to go by. 

“Was I right or was I right?” Lila asked. 

“You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“I’m always sure of a good Barolo. So, what are we playing?”

Kagami set down her wine and opened one of the cabinets. She set a dark, wooden box on a green felt mat. “Mahjong.”

“What’s that?”

“Think of it like the Chinese version of poker.”

“A lying game, then.”

“A strategy game.”

“Same thing.”

Kagami eyed her. “Sometimes, maybe.”

She set up the tiles, explained the rules, and offered to play a first round with all their tiles showing so Lila could get the hang of the game and memorize the symbols and kanji emblazoned on each of the tiles. 

“Okay, for real this time,” Lila said, sounding confident. 

Kagami created a three-of-a-kind match on her second turn. “How’d you become friends with Adrien?”

Lila exchanged a tile for one from the pile and stared at it. “I’m friends with everybody in my class.”

_Yeah, right._

“So when I found you by yourself at the party, you were just taking a break.”

Lila paused to take a sip of wine, and Kagami watched her out of the corner of her eye as she studied her tiles. 

“There’s only so much attention I can take in one sitting.”

“Somehow I really doubt that. Pong, by the way.”

Lila handed over the tile she was gettin ready to discard, and Kagami completed a four-pair. 

“And you’re the loner bad bitch who doesn’t need anybody, right?” Lila drew another tile and rearranged her hand. 

“Not really. I just don’t bother with people I don’t really like.”

“Well, you’re stuck with me tonight. Too bad for you. Pong.”

Lila claimed Kagami’s tile and laid out a four-pair of her own. 

“You’re doing me a favor, actually,” Kagami said. “No offense, but your dad’s kind of long-winded.”

Lila snorted. “You have no idea.”

Kagami won the first match, and they set out resetting the game and refilling their glasses. Ten minutes passed in silence as they got sucked into the game and played more slowly. Lila was a quick study, and she had a killer poker face. 

“Your mom seems like a real empress,” Lila said out of the blue. “I can see where you get it from.”

Kagami looked up at her, but she was focused on her hand. “Not at all. I take after my father.”

Lila looked up. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Because there can only be one empress.” She discarded a tile. “I pick my battles.”

“Well, you picked a losing one tonight.”

Lila won the second match and got up to stretch as Kagami gathered the tiles. She looked around the room, and her eyes landed on a ceremonial katana on display on the wall. 

“Your dad’s?” she asked, studying the plaque engraved in Japanese. 

“My mom’s. It was a gift from the crown princess of Japan.”

“Huh. What’d she do, save the princess from a dragon?”

“No, she was just the national champion in kendo for more consecutive years than any other person in history.”

Lila admired her reflection in the blade’s polished steel. “Big shoes to fill.”

“I’m not exactly aiming for princesses to give me presents.”

Lila returned to the table and cast Kagami a cursory glance. “Well, that’s your loss.”

Kagami did not consider herself a romantic in any sense of the word. She knew what she wanted, made a plan, and went for it. Everything else was window dressing. But she had never been more simultaneously put off and intrigued by someone the way she was by Lila. There was something unsteady about Lila that she couldn’t quite place, like a weak foundation beneath a fresh coat of paint that would crack and crumble under the right kind of pressure. And yet, there was a strange beckoning in the way she moved, the things she said, daring Kagami to take a swing just to prove she could survive the blow. And even if she did fall to pieces because of it, it wasn’t the worst that could happen to her.

“Do you want to see?” Kagami was already on her feet and retrieving the beautiful katana. 

“See you pompously swing a sword around? Thanks, but I spend my days in the company of teenaged boys. I’ve seen enough.”

“And how’s that working out for you?”

She held the katana in two hands and lifted it gracefully. A fencer by training these days, Kagami had nonetheless followed in her mother’s footsteps as a young girl and learned the sacred art of the Japanese sword. As she moved fluidly through the steps, she felt Lila’s eyes on her. 

“Each movement has meaning,” Kagami said. “Fencing is about rules and chivalry, but kendo is a form of worship.”

“You believe in gods?”

“I believe in art and tradition.” She looped around in a masterful display of footwork and extended the katana in Lila’s direction. “But most of all, I believe in myself.”

The look on Lila’s face was strangely poignant, almost embarrassed as they locked eyes. It was gone as quickly as it came, but Kagami had caught it. Inexplicably, she wondered if she’d said something to truly upset Lila, where before it seemed like nothing in the world could have rattled her. 

Lila sipped her wine and plastered a practiced smile on her pretty face. “It’s lovely, but I can’t see any thieves in the night running in fear from a little sword dance.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

“It’s a warning.”

Kagami lowered the katana and stood up straight. “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine.”

Lila fingered the sunstone gem on her necklace. “You have no idea.”

They decided to take a short break so Lila could use the bathroom, and Kagami cleaned up the Mahjong set. As she was returning it to its proper place, movement in the window caught her eye. Suspicious, and recalling Lila’s taunt about thieves in the night, she reached for the katana and peered into the darkness of the garden. In the wan light of the hanging lights, she caught the briefest glimpse of a silhouette. 

“Chat Noir?”

What could he be doing here?

Something howled outside in the distance, wolf-like and melancholy, and not long after the distant rumble of thunder followed. Odd, it was a clear day and there had been no reports of storms or rain. 

Someone screamed.

That was when she saw it in the light of a street lamp down the block. A canine—too big to be a normal dog—loped after a fleeing man, tackled him to the sidewalk, and bit down on his neck. Kagami was so taken aback by the sudden and savage attack that she launched away from the window in terror. 

The attacked man did not get up. Black smoke curled up from his ruined neck, and blood dripped from the wolf’s fangs. Yellow eyes peered through the gloom, unseeing, and the beast threw its head back and howled. From the shadows, more enormous wolves emerged to join the first, and people on the streets shouted in fright as they ran from the feral beasts. 

“Oh shit,” Kagami swore. 

“Oh shit, what?” Lila said from the doorway.

Kagami dove away from the window and shoved her out of the way just as one of the wolves burst through the glass with a snarl.

* * *

 

Marinette was early. No way was she running the risk of Chloe bailing just because of her dismal punctuality. So Marinette had opted to come to Cafe Violette as soon as school was out, set up camp with a cafe au lait, and work on some homework until 6 p.m. Once she booted up her laptop with the free Wi-Fi, however, she got sucked in to browsing the Internet and ended up wasting a good hour scrolling through cute pictures of cats. Until she came upon a picture of a black cat with bright, green eyes staring directly into the camera, and abruptly closed out of the tab. 

“Pull yourself together, Mari-nut,” she grumbled.

She figured she might as well get a head start on the project, which was infinitely less stressful to think about than Chat Noir. Some Googling took her down a promising path for secondary sources on Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years’ War that she bookmarked to read later. Maybe she and Chloe really could knock out the executive summary in an hour. 

“You know, Marinette,” Tikki whispered. “Joan of Arc was once my Chosen.”

“Seriously? That’s…wow.”

“She was an amazing person who helped so many people.”

“…It says here she was burned at the stake for heresy.”

“Yes, her end was tragic. But she died a hero and a martyr. The humans even made her a saint.”

_That’s nice, but she still had to burn._

Marinette kept that dismal thought to herself as she stared at a famous rendering of Joan of Arc in a full suit of armor. She’d been so young and died so violently, and yet she’d accomplished so much in her short life. 

_Is this the kind of person Ladybug is supposed to be?_

If that was true, Marinette doubted she would ever be up to the task. Few people could stand toe to toe with a literal saint.

She put the thought out of her mind when she noticed that one of the papers she came across had a familiar byline: Caline Bustier. Puzzled, she scanned the well-written research paper and discovered that Miss Bustier had specialized in the Hundred Years’ War in graduate school, and that she was a big fan of Joan of Arc. 

Had Lila known this when she suggested Joan of Arc for their paper topic? It seemed like too much of a coincidence otherwise. Marinette’s first thought was that it felt a little like cheating to pick a topic that would cater to the teacher’s bias. And yet, the more she thought about it, the less that made sense. It was…actually kind of smart in a manipulative sort of way. But still…

If Marinette didn’t despise Lila so much, she may have been a little impressed at her foresight.

“Wow, you actually beat me here,” said Chloe, approaching Marinette’s table. 

Marinette checked for Tikki out of habit, but the red kwami had already phased out of sight. And it was a good thing, too, because Luka was with Chloe. 

“Luka? What’re you doing here?” Marinette blurted out. 

“Hey Marinette. I was helping Chloe do some jewelry shopping.”

“I’m sorry, _what_?”

“Well if I’m the only one actually doing anything, then I have to enlist help where I can get it,” Chloe said. 

Marinette felt like she’d been punched in the gut a she gaped openly at Chloe. 

Luka, bless his heart, took that as his cue to leave. “I’m gonna grab a coffee. Do you two want anything?”

“No,” Marinette said at the same time as Chloe said, “Yes.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, opened up her purse, and shoved a credit card at Luka. “Double espresso. I can tell this is going to be a goddamn long night.” After a short pause she added, “Please.”

“No problem.” Luka set aside the cello case he’d been toting and shuffled off to give them some privacy. 

Chloe slipped into the chair opposite Marinette just as she remembered how to speak words. 

“Are you kidding me?” Marinette hissed. “You can’t just go around telling people about the Miraculous!”

“Calm down. Obviously I didn’t tell him shit, but it’s not like I can just do everything by myself. I’m not _you_.”

Despite everything, that stung. “I don’t want to do this with you again.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before.”

Marinette knew they weren’t talking about Luka anymore. “How many times do I have to apologize to you? This isn’t fair and you know it.”

Chloe looked at her coldly. “You could have come clean a lot earlier, and _you_ know it.”

“Would you really have accepted the truth? Because I seriously doubt it.”

“That’s completely not the point! You didn’t even give me a chance.” Chloe tried to keep her voice down so that they would not attract the attention of the other patrons.

“You didn’t give _me_ a chance!”

“Bullshit. I opened up to you during the Malediktator crisis like I never have with anyone, not even Adrien. You had every chance after that, but you just kept on hiding like a coward.”

“I know that!”

Marinette had not meant to raise her voice, but she did and it was done. People around them stared at her, at her shame, her pain, but the only eyes she saw now were Chloe’s reflecting back on her and coming up short. 

“I know that better than anybody,” Marinette said, defeated and unable to hide from it anymore. “When I’m Ladybug, I get to be someone more than human, more than Marinette. But the truth is I’m not more than me—I’m just _me_.” She hung her head in her hands and shuddered. “And I’m afraid that isn’t enough. I don’t need you to remind me of what I already know. I see it every time I look in the mirror.”

Chloe stared at her in disbelief, but she said nothing. 

“I’m truly sorry I hurt you,” Marinette said, unable to bring herself to look at Chloe. “I’m trying here, but I know I’m failing, and I don’t know how to fix it. I’m not the hero you wish I was. I don’t think I’ve ever been her, and I don’t know if I ever will be.”

Chloe remained silent, and finally Marinette gathered herself enough to look up. She was surprised to see the turbulence in Chloe’s eyes, a weary kind of bitterness and self-loathing that was achingly familiar.

“Double espresso, as requested.” Luka set down small cup in front of Chloe and returned her credit card. “Hey, I’m gonna head out, so…” He took one look between them and trailed off. “Um, is everything okay?”

Chloe looked like she wanted to say something, but an excruciatingly loud clap of thunder cracked and startled everyone in the cafe. Luka spilled some of his own coffee on his wrist and swore. 

“The hell?” he said, rubbing his ear. 

People in the cafe rose from their chairs and moved to the windows. Flashes of lightning lit up the night sky in stabbing, yellow thrusts. Before Marinette knew what was happening, people outside were running for their lives from something. The lighting flashed brighter—or rather, it flashed closer. 

“Théoooooo!!” cried a crackling, static voice. 

It was closely followed by another eardrum-splitting crash of thunder. Pollen’s high-pitched scream was the only warning Marinette had before Chloe launched across the table and yanked her and Luka down by their collars. The glass window burst under the force of the sound wave, and Marinette cried out as she felt a shard pierce her cheek. Head spinning and covered in broken glass, she locked eyes with Chloe under the table. They would have to continue sorting through their personal problems later. 

Right now, there was another nightmare akuma on the attack, and Paris would need both Ladybug and Queen Bee to stop it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon that Marinette actually speaks Mandarin pretty fluently because culturally invested, business savvy Sabine made a point to speak it with her growing up. Marinette speaks it with Master Fu when they don’t want to be easily overheard and want to play the grandpa/granddaughter part. In no show!canon universe do I believe or accept the idea that privileged, white supermodel Adrien Agreste knows Mandarin/Chinese culture better than she does. It's just a poor decision on the creators' part. I think we’ve established how little I care to commit to canon generally, so whatever dudes.
> 
> UPDATED NOTE: Some commenters have taken issue with my language decisions for Marinette. Let me preface by saying I myself am a first generation daughter of an immigrant, so I hear your points on the struggles kids like us can face if we're not fluent in our parents' language, etc. I hear and respect your opinion. This isn't an attempt to be insensitive to that, though if it came off that way, then I sincerely apologize. Rather, it's my alternative solution to the terrible optics on the show of presenting a white guy educating a Chinese woman about her own culture and heritage in episodes like Kung Food, and turning around and never caring about what any of it actually means to Marinette or how it affects her cultural identity.
> 
> Stories matter, and how they are told/depicted matters. I do not believe the creators had any ill intentions in their decisions re the language thing. In fact, you can easily argue that it's realistic to show a possibly second (or more) generation Chinese girl not knowing Chinese well, and the struggles she faces because of it. But viewer interpretation is arguably more important than creator intent the minute the product is put out into the world for consumption. And my and many others' view is that it *looks* really bad and kind of racist when the *only* meaningful example we are shown in this show is a white guy schooling Marinette. This is exacerbated by the fact that the head writer is himself a white guy who has constantly Tweeted about Adrien literally being "perfect". It reeks of Orientalism, the white savior complex, and benevolent sexism, and I'm not going to support it. 
> 
> I take a lot of issue with many "realistic" portrayals in media in general for this reason. Yes, they might be realistic and speak to true experiences, but the way they are *depicted* in certain media can be extremely insensitive, hurtful, and perpetuate harmful stereotypes (a particularly egregious example: Game of Thrones). This is a longer/separate discussion which I'd be happy to have with anyone over on Tumblr, but **AO3 comments on a fanfic are not the place for meaningful meta discourse, so I respectfully ask you to please direct any further comments on the matter to my Tumblr**. That being said, since some people specifically asked about this, I felt the need to explain a little here. I hope that makes my position clear. I'm not asking you to agree, but I'm asking you to consider that this was not a careless/thoughtless decision on my part. 
> 
> For a more in-depth discussion, please see this post on my Tumblr: https://renaerys.tumblr.com/post/183979852280/response-to-a-comment-on-ao3
> 
> Next time: Our heroes’ reality is turned upside down when they are confronted with not one, but two akumas at once and no time to team up. Adrien makes an impossible decision, while Chloe finally finds her courage.


	9. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When three little pigs took on the big, bad wolf, I remember it not ending so well for two of them…

Lila landed hard against the hallway wall with a grunt. Kagami had her waist in one hand and a katana in the other, and she roughly hauled Lila to her feet. The creature snarled and shook out broken glass from its black fur. One look in the beast’s yellow eyes and Lila knew she must be looking at one of those new nightmare akumas. 

But this one was not alone. 

More of the wolf beasts howled outside as they herded people to the slaughter in search of whoever had dreamed them into being. 

“Run!” Kagami said, pushing Lila down the hall. 

Lila ran, no easy feat in heels and a party dress. The wolf lunged into the hall after the two women. Adrenaline twisted Lila’s stomach as fear for her life outweighed the spasms in her feet that flared with each high-heeled step. She ducked left into the first open door she came across, barely managing to grab Kagami’s wrist and yank her in after her. 

The wolf barreled past not two seconds behind them. Kagami slammed the door behind them, and Lila was quick to haul a dresser in front of the door. With Kagami’s help, they managed to move the heavy furniture and block the door. Somewhere in the house, people screamed and huge paws thudded. If one of the wolves had made it inside, others might, too. 

“I don’t know if that will hold it off,” Kagami said, brandishing her katana and backing away from door. She held her arm out to shield Lila from the door. “Stay behind me.”

Lila looked around the room. “I’ll find us a way out.”

“No, we should stay put. Chat Noir’s here, and—”

“What? How did he get here so fast?”

Before Kagami could say any more, something huge and heavy rammed the door and rattled the dresser. Kagami readied her katana.

_Fuck this,_ Lila thought, kicking off her impractical heels and running barefoot to the window. She tried to pry it open, but it was painted shut. 

The wolf rammed the door again, and the wall around the door’s frame cracked. It wouldn’t hold for much longer. 

“Orikko,” Lila hissed. “Do something!”

The Rooster kwami phased out of her purse and looked at the window. “You know the magic words. Hurry up and say them so we can transform.”

“I _can’t_.” She indicated Kagami, who was focused on the door and had not overheard their hushed conversation.

Another heave and the wolf broke down the door, and Lila barely missed the dresser that went flying in pieces and shattered the window. She rolled on the floor and hit a bookshelf, spilling heavy books on top of herself. 

The wolf snapped at Kagami, fearless and furious, but she was quick on her feet and even quicker with the sword. She stabbed the wolf between the ribs, and it howled in agony. With a terrible shudder, it shook her off and knocked her hard against the wall. Instead of blood, it bled shadows from its wound. 

“Orikko!” Lila screamed as the wolf, limping but alive, closed in on Kagami defenseless on the floor. 

Orikko, glowing, flew at the wolf and exploded with light. Lila had the sense to shield her eyes just before the incandescent Solar Flare burned the shadows to their roots. It was over in a few seconds, and despite the terrible ringing in Lila’s ears, she could see just fine when she opened her eyes. There was nothing left of the wolf but skid marks in the carpet where Orikko’s super-powered Solar Flare incinerated it to dust. Kagami was temporarily blind and dazed on the floor, but she was alive and safe. Lila staggered to her feet and breathed a sigh of relief. A second later and she may have been too late to save Kagami.

“Anything with eyes will have seen that,” Orikko said solemnly, out of breath as he flew back to Lila’s side.

Lila pulled a couple fat cherries wrapped in a napkin from her purse and fed them to Orikko as quickly as she could. “Then we don’t have much time. Are you ready?”

Orikko swallowed the two cherries whole, pits and all. “I will manage.”

Kagami groaned on the floor and fumbled about, disoriented. “Lila? Are you there? Lila!”

Lila held her hands out for Orikko. “Orikko, Sun up!”

Orikko melted into pure magic between her fingers and coursed over her body in hundreds of rivers of light that converged on her Miraculous Choker. In seconds, Gallina stood transformed in all her glory. 

Kagami fumbled about for her sword, blind and deaf and slow to recover. “Lila!”

Gallina went to help her. “Kagami, can you hear me? I’m Gallina, I can help you.”

Kagami found her sword and clutched Gallina’s arm in a firm grip. “I… Damnit, this ringing.”

Gallina helped her to her feet and steadied her. “That will pass.”

“But what about Lila—”

“She’s fine,” said a voice behind them. “Gallina already helped her.”

Gallina whirled. Chat Noir stood perched on the broken window sill, his green cat eyes hard as he fixated on Gallina. 

“Isn’t that right?” Chat prompted.

_He knows._

Gallina wasn’t sure how—had he seen her transform? Was he drawn here by the Solar Flare, like Orikko warned might happen? It didn’t matter now—he _knew_. And she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

There was a moment when they stared each other down, each waiting for the other to react. 

“Kagami, your parents are safe. Go be with them,” Chat said. “Gallina and I can take it from here.”

“Like hell,” Kagami spat, brandishing her katana. “That thing broke into my home! No way I’m sitting by idly.”

Gallina wasn’t sure what Chat’s end game was, but there would be time for that after the wolves were dealt with. “Stop being a stubborn ass and go back inside,” Gallina said to Kagami.

“I can help you fight them.”

“You’re half blind and dizzy. You’ll just get in my way.”

Outside, more of the akuma wolves howled as they hunted down civilians in search of their prey. Chat swore and gazed out into the darkness. 

“Last chance, Gallina,” he said.

Gallina pried Kagami off her and followed him out the window. Kagami ran after them, but with super powers at their disposal, they soon left her behind. 

“What are you even doing here?” Gallina demanded as they landed in the street side by side. A car alarm blared a couple blocks away, and a few straggling civilians fled as quickly as they could into nearby buildings.

“I followed you here.”

“You…” It took her a moment to wrap her head around what he was really telling her. “You _knew_?”

“Suspected.”

“But how—”

A huge, black wolf darted out at them from the shadows, blood dripping from its jaws. Chat extended his staff and lunged to meet it. Their clash was a sickening crunch of bones as Chat shattered the wolf’s skull with a brutal swing. The creature soon lay dying and melted into smokey shadows at Chat’s feet. 

“That’s not important right now. Look, I need your help. There’s too many of these things, and I don’t like working alone,” Chat said.

Gallina was not about to let him off the hook so easily. “What, your lady stood you up, Kitten? How sad.”

Something flashed in Chat’s eyes, but there was no time to question it as more wolves emerged from the side streets, drawn to the smell of their comrade’s death. 

A woman who had been running from something else screamed at the sight of the wolves converging and turned back the way she’d come, but another wolf pounced on her from the shadows and knocked her down. 

“No!” Chat cried out. 

But there was nothing he or Gallina could have done. In the blink of an eye, the wolf popped off the woman’s head like a bottle cap and left her to bleed out on the sidewalk. It crunched her skull and snarled, and in the guttural bass of that snarl Lila thought she could make out the deep, broken lilt of barely human speech. 

“Marie…”

Gallina swallowed hard. She had seen the killer clown murder people right in front of her before, and had come close to her own death when Marinette was akumatized. But none of that could desensitize her to the sight of a woman’s heartless mauling just a few meters away. Hands shaking, she brandished her mirror and hoped its gilded frame was sharp enough to pierce through the beasts’ thick hides. 

With a low bark and the skid of nails on asphalt, the hell hounds came for Chat and her.

* * *

 

Chloe was on her feet just behind Marinette, who had all but transformed from the strangely vulnerable girl bearing her deepest insecurity moments ago into the woman who secretly wore Ladybug’s mask. Steely blue eyes quickly surveyed the damage around them until she found Chloe’s eyes. 

“Bathroom,” was all she said, taking off. 

Chloe was too stunned to argue and made to follow, but Luka grabbed her wrist. He was bleeding from a gash beneath his hairline, and his eyes were wide with worry. “Are you okay?”

She didn’t have time for him right now, and as shitty as abandoning him at a time like this would come off, she told herself it was for his own good. “Listen, I saw Ladybug and Queen Bee going after the akuma, so you just stay hidden until it’s over. I, uh, have to use the bathroom.”

“Seriously? Wait, _Chloe_ —”

She took off after Marinette in the direction of the bathrooms, only to find them empty and the window open. 

“Looks like Ladybug didn’t stick around,” Pollen said, her antennae flattened in distress. 

“Let’s not keep her waiting. Buzz on!”

Queen Bee jumped out the window and ran in the direction of the screams. What she found boggled the mind, even for an akuma. The creature was man-shaped and slow moving, but it crackled with electricity all over its charred, black skin. Like the nightmare akumas before it, it muttered the name of the person who had conjured it and nothing else. 

The street they were on was a very busy one lined with shops and cafes, and cars piled up in the street as people leaped out and took to running for their lives from the akuma. Queen Bee barely had time to get her bearings when the power went out along the entire block, plunging the City of Lights into gloomy darkness. 

“Get out of the way!” Ladybug shouted at fleeing civilians in the monster’s line of sight. It held two crackling lashes that conducted its inborn electricity, and it snapped them at the helpless civilians. 

Queen Bee made it to the civilians as Ladybug threw her yo-yo to entrap the monster. She could only look on in horror as Ladybug was electrocuted, her yo-yo string an unfortunate conduit linking her to the monster. Her scream was elemental, and she crumpled bonelessly to the ground. 

Queen Bee dropped the civilians she’d scooped up. “Bug!”

“Théo…” the creature slurred, unfazed. 

Queen Bee let out a battle cry and lunged, top in hand, but she didn’t make it two steps before the monster cracked its whips and summoned a head-splitting thunderclap. The sound wave hit her with supernatural force and sent her flying. The window of the cafe she’d been in earlier would have broken her fall if it hadn’t already shattered. She hit the barista counter and settled in a puddle of pain on the floor. 

Her ears rang, and for a few terrifying moments she heard nothing but a high pitched ringing that made her head spin. A terrible pain in her back filled her with dread, for in those few seconds she couldn’t feel her limbs at all. Then, arms around her, lifting her up. A cool hand under her neck. 

“You have to wake up!” said Luka, frantic. 

Queen Bee opened her eyes and found him supporting her. Slowly, she remembered how to breathe as feeling returned to her body. Groaning, she sat up and pressed her hands to her ears. The ringing had subsided, but a killer headache began to form behind her eyes. She didn’t have _time_ for this bullshit. 

“Queen Bee,” he said, a mixture of awe and fear. 

She nearly snapped at him to stay hidden like she’d told him before, but that had been Chloe, not Queen Bee. Instead she said, “Help me up.”

He did as he was asked, and she wobbled on her feet as she regained her balance. Her ears pounded—had she perforated an eardrum? There was no time to worry about it. Ladybug had been fucking _electrocuted_. 

“Are you okay?” Luka asked. 

“I will be once I rip Electrolyte out there a new asshole.”

Luka cracked a smile. “Nice pun.”

Queen Bee dusted herself off and pushed past him. “I _never_ pun.”

She dashed out and left Luka standing there a little in awe, probably a little emasculated having experienced her up close, and landed on the street again. That was when the stench hit her. Burning flesh and blood and the rancid stink of fear permeated the streets. A few cars were on fire. Storefront windows were shattered and smoking bodies lay strewn on the streets like battered piñata candy. Queen Bee had never seen so many corpses before. She may have been sick, but the thought of Ladybug severely wounded and possibly joining them beat out the nausea. 

“Bug! Where are you!” she shouted, ignoring the crescendoing pain in her head. 

“Bee,” came a raspy voice nearby.

Ladybug was on her feet and still smoking. Her long, loose hair was singed, her suit sported more black char than red, and the gash on her cheek left an ugly splash of dried blood down the side of her face and neck. But she was alive and standing, and her blue eyes were lucid and alert in spite of her pain. For a moment, Queen Bee could only look at Ladybug with awe, much as Luka had looked at her earlier. 

“Medium-well isn’t a good look for you,” Queen Bee quipped.

“Unfortunately, there’s no way to get close to that thing without getting electrocuted.”

Queen Bee produced her top. “Leave that to me. You go find Théo.”

“How? There are hundreds of people around here.”

The creature bellowed and shouted for Théo again as it destroyed more cars and left a path of burning destruction in its wake. 

“I don’t know, but you better find him before that thing does.” Queen Bee took off, readied her top, and threw it at the creature. “Eat shit!”

The creature turned just as the top enlarged, flattened a burning Smart car, and rammed the creature. Ladybug’s job was finding and purifying the akuma, so Queen Bee would do what she needed to do to keep the monster at bay for as long as she could. 

Unfortunately, that task proved easier said than done when the creature, in pieces, quickly reassembled itself. Even her devastating spinning top couldn’t keep this nightmare at bay. No, she would need to use Venom if she wanted any hope of stopping it in its tracks for more than a few seconds. At least that would buy time for Ladybug to purify the akuma, however temporary. 

But she couldn’t get near the thing without risking electrocution. 

“Goddamnit,” Queen Bee swore as she reeled her top back in, wound it up, and let it fly again just as the monster prepared to crack its thunder whips. She’d only get one shot at it with Venom, and she had to make it count. 

“Ladybug!” shouted a man. “Please, it’s our son! You have to help us!”

Queen Bee hadn’t been paying close attention as she continued to flatten the landscape with her spinning top and the monster threw bolt after bolt of lightning her way. Her top was charred and cracked from the assault, and it wouldn’t last much longer at this rate. 

In a shocking (absolutely no pun intended) turn of events, the disassembled monster began to levitate instead of reforming. Queen Bee barely had time to wonder at that when each of its pieces exploded with electricity, frying everything around it, including Queen Bee and her top. She screamed and collapsed, static burning in her veins. It felt like something was eating her from the inside out, and all she could do was ride it out and pray she survived. 

Welts bloomed upon her cheeks where her stress tears popped and fizzled. Car windows exploded and engines caught fire, setting off a devastating chain cacophony of burst fuel tanks and smoldering blazes. Her top cracked and split into pieces, useless. She was out of options, hardly able to see as her vision danced with lightning and ozone burned in her throat. 

“Ridiculous,” she gasped, trembling and wiping blood from her lips. “Utterly…ridiculous.”

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug shouted. 

She landed next to Queen Bee. “Get up. I’ll take it from here.”

Queen Bee managed to regain a bit of her composure. Her suit was charred and smoking. Her exposed skin ached like it had been run through with knives. Even her hair hurt. She saw two of Ladybug as she blinked to clear her aching head. “Bastard blew up my top.”

“I know. Don’t worry about it, I’ve got it.” Ladybug clutched a spotted lightning rod in her hand like a sword. “Just protect Théo. We can’t let the nightmare consume him.”

But Ladybug was a zombie on her feet, having taken a point-blank electrocution from the creature before. If Queen Bee felt this shitty from an errant blast, she could not imagine the kind of pain Ladybug was in right now. 

“Did you hear me?” Ladybug demanded, her eyes darting to the reforming creature not far from them. 

But Queen Bee did not hear her. All she could hear was Marinette.

_“I’m not the hero you wish I was. I don’t think I’ve ever been her, and I don’t know if I ever will be.”_

Ladybug, the hero of her dreams, had chosen her to fight alongside her. _Her_ , of all people. After everything she had put Marinette through in their civilian lives. In spite of their personal animosity, Ladybug had trusted her, and Pollen had Chosen her. She had to have known. She had to have known all along. Pollen only Chose the bravest to wield her power, the ones whose hearts were possessed of true valor even in the face of fear. 

To set aside her personal issues and insecurities to do the right thing and ask for help when she needed it—didn’t that make Ladybug a true hero? Didn’t that make Marinette worthy to wear her mask? 

_“When I’m Ladybug, I get to be someone more than human, more than Marinette.”_

“Bee!” Ladybug said, clutching the lightning rod tighter as she watched the creature fully reform and face them, the only obstacles between it and the little boy it sought to devour. 

“No,” Queen Bee said. 

“What do you mean, no?!”

Queen Bee laid a hand over the lightning rod. “Marinette.”

Ladybug shut her mouth, eyes wide and so _Marinette_ that it was impossible to see her as anything or anyone else. Queen Bee could have laughed. All this time, and she was right there under the mask. It had always been her. 

_I’ve been such an ass._

“Purify the akuma. Only you can. I’ll buy you some time,” Queen Bee said.

“Théo!!!” the monster screamed, advancing and dragging its whips behind it. 

Ladybug hesitated a moment, but she must have read something in Queen Bee’s expression because she relented and handed over the lightning rod. “Okay.” After a short pause she added, “Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Queen Bee bit back a haughty smirk that Ladybug definitely caught. 

She nodded and ran back to help Théo, leaving Queen Bee to deal with this mess…somehow. If the lightning rod could draw the creature’s electricity, it might give her the opening she needed to use Venom. But the timing would have to be perfect, and she wasn’t sure she could accomplish both at the same time without a miracle or, like, three arms. 

“Queen Bee!” Luka, sans cello, rushed out to meet her.

“I’m a little busy here!” Queen Bee leaped off the car she’d been standing on just as the monster’s lash quite literally came thundering down upon it. The car instantly combusted. 

“Let me help you!”

“What?!”

“THÈOOOOOOOO!!!” 

Queen Bee sprinted for Luka just as the creature cracked its other whip in his direction, unleashing a terrible thunderclap and spark of white-hot lightning. She collided with him and landed hard against the side of an abandoned car—one that thankfully was not on fire or exploded. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” Queen Bee screamed at Luka. 

He fixed her with a hard stare that didn’t suit him at all. “I told you, I want to help.”

“By getting yourself killed? Great plan.”

“I heard what you told Ladybug. You need to distract that thing for her to purify the akuma, right? How’re you going to do that with your top destroyed?”

Queen Bee sputtered. “I’ll figure something out!”

The creature exploded with a fresh wave of lightning that set off multiple car alarms. It was advancing on Ladybug’s location, where she was hunched over a little boy and trying to extract the akuma as fast as she could, but not fast enough if the creature was left to its devices. 

“Please,” Luka said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Even superheroes need help sometimes.”

She held his gaze. There was no earthly reason why he should be so intent on risking his life like this for her—he didn’t even know her while she wore this mask.

“Théo…” the creature groaned. It upended a car that was in its way to get to Ladybug. 

“Fuck,” Queen Bee said. She hated what she was about to do, but she could see no other way. “Take this. It’ll protect you from that thing’s lighting.” She pressed the Lucky Charm lightning rod into Luka’s hands. “Stab it, hit it, I don’t care. Just distract it. I only need a couple seconds and a clear shot.”

To his credit, Luka didn’t flinch and took the lighting rod. “You’re the boss.”

She flushed in spite of herself. “You’re damn right I am. Now go!”

Luka gave the creature a wide berth to the west, while Queen Bee circled around to the east. She didn’t have time to consider how truly fucked this situation was. Involving a civilian without superpowers? What kind of irresponsible superhero was she? But she didn’t have time for doubt, neither in herself nor in Luka. All she could do was trust in the power of Ladybug’s Lucky Charm to keep him safe for a few seconds while she threw herself into the fire—or lightning, as it were. 

“Over here!” Luka goaded the monster. “You want Théo? You have to go through me first!”

The monster bellowed, drawn by the sound of his target’s name, and readied his whips. “Théo?”

Luka climbed on top of a car. “Up here! Come and get me!”

Queen Bee lined up behind the creature at a safe distance and summoned her ultimate power to her fingertips with a wicked whisper. “Venom.”

Instantly, she felt every nerve in her body flare to life with a fire of her own making. She never felt so powerful as when she wielded Pollen’s true strength, a power that could stop even nightmares in their tracks and force them to bow down before her. Determination made her fearless, and valor made her true as she sprinted straight for the creature. 

Luka swung the lightning rod like a toy sword, unused to such a weapon, and caught one of the monster’s whips around it. Instantly, the electricity fizzled to static and, emboldened, Luka plunged the lightning rod through the windshield of the car he was on, lodging it fast behind the steering wheel. For a few awkward seconds, the creature was trapped and unsure how to free itself. 

It was all the opening Queen Bee needed. She collided with the creature, her palms buzzing with razor-sharp power as she dug her fingers into the creature’s back. The electrocution was instantaneous and bone-deep, though she had prepared herself for the pain. Her suit clung to her as if it were the only thing keeping her skin from evaporating off her bones, and her splitting headache threatened to literally split her head in two. Even so, she held on. 

“Fucking…demented sparkler mother _fucker_!” She pressed her stinging fingers through the creature’s flesh until its shadowy insides began to ooze and slick her finger, and still she pushed harder. 

Somewhere deep down in the depths of her, Queen Bee felt Pollen’s faith in her roar like a buzzsaw, and the deeper the creature electrified her, the more they both dug in. At the pinnacle of agony with only her own force of will standing between this nightmare and Ladybug, Luka, and the countless innocent people who didn’t deserve to suffer, Queen Bee leaned in to the reckless side of valor and made it her bitch.

Crashing was a slow fall from point A to point B, and suddenly the asphalt was beneath her as she tumbled. Sparks danced in her vision, frying her eyeballs in their sockets until she could hardly see anything at all. 

Except Luka centimeters from her face and shouting her name. 

Except the creature, twitching erratically on the ground and unable to move, however temporarily. 

Except the stars high above, invisible and inchoate against the newly black backdrop of a Paris plunged into darkness. Whimsically, maddeningly, longingly, she marveled at their rare beauty, and wondered at the strangeness of stars in a city buried by light. 

“Just hold on!” Luka said, clutching her to him as he dragged her limp body away from the paralyzed creature. “I’ve got you.”

Queen Bee coughed and groped blindly for something to hold on to, finding only Luka’s burned hoodie. “L-Ladybug…”

“She’s got the akuma,” Luka said. “It’s over, she purified it!”

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug shouted her blessedly familiar incantation, and her magic did the rest. 

Queen Bee felt its touch infuse her with warmth and breath anew. When she opened her eyes, she could see its power in the air, millions of scarlet stars joining their brethren in the black for a few breathtaking moments until the city lights came back on and washed them out. Paris opened it eyes, and the nightmare was over. 

“You did it,” Luka said.

It took Queen Bee a moment to realize he was talking to her, and she flushed again, dizzy from the lingering effects of her headache. “You mean, Ladybug did it.”

“You both did it together.” He let her go now that she could stand on her own, and his smile was something. “You’re incredibly brave, Queen Bee.”

“He’s right,” Ladybug said, back to her shiny, spotted self thanks to the healing magic of her ultimate Creation power. “I would never have beaten that thing without your help.” She took Queen Bee’s hand in hers and held her gaze. “You’re truly worthy of the Bee Miraculous.”

Queen Bee stared at Ladybug, unsure she’d heard her right. But the longer she looked, the less she saw Ladybug and the more she saw Marinette behind the mask—earnest, vulnerable, and full of a hope so strong it could reach even the hardest of hearts. She blinked as her eyes grew hot with unshed tears, but words eluded her. All she could do was nod and hope Ladybug could hear the words she was unable to say in front of Luka, the words she had held on to all this time along with her faith in the hero who had inspired her to want to be better than she was. 

Their Miraculous beeped in warning, and the moment was over. People emerged from the buildings and cars now that the danger had passed. Bodies lay burned and misshapen on the ground, those unlucky enough to be caught by the living nightmare. It was a sobering sight that brought both heroes back down to Earth. 

“The little boy,” Queen Bee said. 

“He’s okay, but I can’t say the same for all these people.” Ladybug looked around at the fallen. There were so many, and she looked so small standing among their broken bodies. 

Ladybug’s yo-yo chimed at the same time as Queen Bee’s restored top. They had both received a voicemail from Chat Noir about another akuma attack. 

“That’s not possible,” Queen Bee said. “Two at the same time?”

Ladybug said nothing as she stared at her yo-yo like she’d seen a ghost. 

“Seems like everything’s okay here,” Luka said. “You should go help Chat Noir.”

“Obviously.” Queen Bee holstered her top. “Let’s go, Bug.”

“Yeah…” Ladybug shakily shut her yo-yo and looked around for a pole to snare.

“And you, go home,” Queen Bee said to Luka. “You’ve done enough for one night.”

“As soon as I find my friends, I will.”

“Oh, those girls you were with? I totally saw them leave before things got bad.”

“Ah, smart.”

“Maybe take a hint.”

Ladybug threw her yo-yo and took off without so much as a parting word. 

“Damnit, I have to go,” Queen Bee said. “Seriously, just go home, okay?”

“Wait—will I see you again?” 

Queen Bee shot him a cocky smirk. “Maybe in your dreams, pretty boy.”

She took off and left Luka in her dust to chase after Ladybug.

* * *

 

The nightmare wolves were huge and powerful for creatures conjured from sin and shadows. Gallina’s muscles strained as she swung her heavy mirror and sliced through putrid fur and rotten bone. Not long after the battle began, a blackout swept through the city and extinguished every electric light. Chat seemed to be at his best in the dark. He ripped through the wolves tirelessly, a razor-sharp shadow even a nightmare could not quite keep up with. 

Gallina, however, did not have his affinity, and she suffered for it. A huge paw caught her in the back, and she ate asphalt crashing to the ground. Instinct and Miraculous reflexes were all the saved her from evisceration, and only barely. She stumbled, her grip on her mirror slipping, and heard an ominous snarl directly above her. Before she had time to properly fear for her life, the snarl petered into a whimper and then a horrible crunching. 

“Be careful!” Chat said, panting his exertion. He was crouched on top of a wolf’s body, his claws slick with the black tar that was its blood up to his elbows as it slowly smoked off of him.

Another wolf leaped at Chat from behind, its yellow eyes wide with menace. Gallina reached for him, though at this distance she knew she would never make it in time to save him. But the wolf yelped and stumbled, losing momentum just long enough for Chat to wisen up and leap out of its path. 

“Kagami?!” Chat blurted out. 

Perspiring and smoking black where the wolves’ blood had smeared her blazer, Kagami yanked her katana out of the beast’s belly, opening it up like a zipper. Chat looked on, stunned, but Gallina wasn’t about to be shown up a second time. She swung her mirror shield and crushed the nightmare’s skull in one blow. It did not get up again. 

Kagami wiped her brow. “Better practice what you preach, Chat Noir.”

“Are you insane? You can’t be here!”

“I just saved your life!”

“I have superpowers!”

“I have a sword!”

“That’s _not the same thing_!”

“Both of you, shut up!” Gallina shouted to be heard. “They’re coming.”

Some of the wolves abandoned their hunt to dispose of the meddling Miraculous heroes, and now they and Kagami were completely surrounded. Chat spread his arms and tried to make himself bigger than the girls. 

“Get behind me,” he said, his green eyes narrowed to slits. 

“Wouldn’t want you to block my view, thanks,” Kagami said, brandishing her sword.

The wolves’ guttural growling once again carried a shadow of human speech in its teeth. 

“Marie,” Gallina said. “Do you hear that?”

Chat’s cat ears were flattened over his wild hair. “Yeah, that must be the akumatized child they’re after.”

“Then that’s it—that’s how we stop them, right? Find Marie, and we find the akuma.”

“Not without Ladybug. Only she can extract and purify the akuma. Damnit, she should’ve been here by now.”

The wolves were closing in. Kagami’s shoulder bumped Gallina’s. “Well, for now it looks like we’re on our own. I hope you have more than terrible pick-up lines stashed under those cat ears. We need a plan, and fast.”

Gallina scoffed. As far as she was concerned, it didn’t matter that Ladybug wasn’t here. If she didn’t show up at all, it wouldn’t change the fact that Gallina could stop the akuma. She’d done it once before, after all. “I have a plan: we fight.”

If Chat didn’t agree, he had no time to argue because the nightmare wolves rushed them all at once. Jaws snapped and bones cracked as between the three of them, they stabbed, slashed, and bludgeoned the monsters. One of the wolves trampled its brethren and made to take a chunk out of Kagami, but Gallina smashed its jaws with her shield, and the two of them went down together. Struggling with the beast, she rolled it on its back and smothered it beneath her mirror. Getting up, Gallina was surprised to see that she’d rolled to the other side of the street. 

More of the beasts were still searching for Marie. People shouted their terror as they broke down doors and windows to get inside buildings and homes, slaughtering all they encountered. Gallina hesitated as she considered her next move: go back and help Chat and Kagami, or find Marie before the wolves did? 

Her mirror grew warm in her hands, and she held it up. Instead of her own reflection, she saw the apartment building in front of her where three wolves were leaping to smash through the brick and stone. Only, they didn’t appear as wolves, but masses of writhing shadows, shapeless. She could see people trapped inside—pale, formless specters in contrast to their assailants. 

Except for one among them, aflame in hazy, violet mist on the fourth floor. Gallina did not understand, but she didn’t need to. The wolves were climbing to get to that floor, which meant Marie might be in there. No, she was definitely in there, Gallina was sure of it. 

_And I’m going to be the one to save her._

As quickly and as quietly as she could, Gallina skirted the wolves to the fire escape and climbed the ladder and stairs to the fourth floor. In a matter of minutes, she found the correct apartment, shattered the window, and slipped inside. 

“Marie?” she called. 

“W-Who are you?!” cried a frightened woman in striped pajamas holding a rolling pin like a sword. 

“I’m your only hope. Is there a girl named Marie here?”

“That’s my daughter, but what’re you—”

Gallina didn’t wait to hear her questions and began searching the apartment. She found the sleeping eight-year-old girl in her bed just as a crash sounded from the kitchen. The mother screamed like she’d seen a ghost—or an enormous hell beast prowling her kitchen. Gallina didn’t waste any time and scooped Marie up in her arms. The girl was frail and clammy, with horrible, black bags under her eyes. No doubt about it, this girl had to be the akumatized victim. 

“No, stay back!” screamed the mother. 

Gallina heard a sickening crunch of wood and raced out of Marie’s room to find a wolf struggling to fit itself through the narrow hallway, the mother’s rolling pin smashed to splinters in its fangs. She was on the floor scrambling back, crying and shaking. Gallina was about to run down the other end of the hallway when she heard another crash followed by a snarl. The bastards had climbed their way up the fire escape after her.

“ _Porca troia_!” Gallina swore. 

The wolf in the fire escape was wriggling through the window she’d smashed at alarming speed, snapping and slobbering in its ravenous desire to get to Marie, while the other rocked against the tight hallway walls to break and widen the passage. There was nowhere to escape to. Thinking quickly, Gallina tossed Marie’s sleeping body at her mother on the floor, who clutched her daughter for dear life and sobbed. 

“Oh god, oh god!” 

Gallina ignored her and balanced her mirror shield on the floor.

“Solar Flare!” 

Blinding light engulfed the tiny hallway with an almost physically oppressive presence, thick and suffocating. It seeped through the cracks in the walls, filled every corner and cranny. Somewhere below, she heard Marie’s mother scream bloody murder. In seconds, the flash dissipated, and Gallina’s knees wobbled and gave out. Her whole body shook, spent, as if the attack had sapped her strength to power itself. Heaving, she looked around the ruined hallway, but there was no trace of the wolves except smears of black where they’d burned up where they stood. Marie and her mother were spared. 

“Your daughter’s been akumatized. If I don’t get her out of here, more of those things will come after her,” Gallina said. 

Marie’s mother clutched her eyes. “I-I can’t see anything!”

“That’ll pass. Just stay here.” She took Marie from her mother and ignored the first warning chirp of her Miraculous.

“Wait, Marie! Where are you taking her?!”

The woman groped blindly on the floor, but Gallina ignored her. She didn’t have a lot of time left, and she needed to find a way to destroy the akuma possessing Marie. 

Superpowers helped Gallina stick her landing from four stories up, and she looked around for Chat and Kagami. They were working together to fight off the last wolf, and Gallina arrived just in time to watch Chat wrestle it to the ground while Kagami climbed onto its back and drove her katana in to the hilt. 

“I’ve got her!” Gallina shouted at them.

With the last of the wolves dealt with, Kagami and Chat staggered to their feet looking worse for wear. Kagami’s suit was a ripped mess, and both she and Chat trailed rancid mist as the wolves’ black blood evaporated off of them. 

“The akumatized victim?” Chat said. “How did you find her?”

“Pretty amazing, huh?”

She set Marie on the ground as they approached and observed her through her mirror. The girl continued to smoke purple through the enchanted lens. If she could somehow access that energy, pull it out the way Ladybug did, or maybe burn it up entirely…

Kagami was saying something that Gallina didn’t catch as she pondered. 

“No, we have to wait for Ladybug,” Chat said. “If I have to, I’ll bring Marie to her.”

“Can’t you try calling her again?” 

“Don’t bother,” Gallina said with a sneer. “I don’t need her help.”

“Yes, you do. We both do. That’s what being part of the team means,” Chat said, an edge to his tone. 

Gallina rolled her eyes. “Even if I was part of your stupid team, which I’m definitely _not_ , even I know teams give enough of a crap to show up for game time.”

“That’s not fair. I’m sure there’s a good reason for—”

“ _I’m_ here. Hell, Kagami’s here and she doesn’t have superpowers. I’d pick her over your absentee partner any day.”

“Whoa.” Kagami put up her hands, not wanting to get in the middle of an argument between two super beings.

“That’s completely beside the point,” Chat said. 

Gallina got to her feet and got in his face. “Is it? Because from where I’m standing, the _point_ seems to be to save the akumatized victim, which is what I’m doing. Not Ladybug, _me_.”

He glared at her then in a very un-Chat Noir kind of way, like he saw right through her. And she remembered then that he did—he knew who she was under the mask. But no, it was more than that. He _knew_ her. Gallina peered at him, her own suspicions piqued. 

If he knew her, was it possible that she knew him, too?

They were so absorbed in their argument that they both failed to notice the shadow loping silently toward them until it was too late. Kagami gasped, but her warning came too late even for Gallina’s and Chat’s inhuman reflexes. A final wolf had hung back, lying in wait like a predator, and finally saw a chance to claim its prey when it was exposed and vulnerable. Chat pulled Gallina and Kagami out of the path of certain death, but he had only two hands and not enough time. Pain exploded in Gallina’s back where a huge paw crashed into her, and she fell into Kagami and Chat. They flew back with Chat breaking their fall—hurting but alive. 

Marie was not so lucky. 

“No!” Chat fumbled over Kagami and Gallina and ran to help Marie, but he barely made it two steps before he was already too late. 

Gallina saw stars, the pain in her back ovewhelming for a few breaths while her suit absorbed the damage. Kagami hissed, awkward on her feet, but offered her a hand up. When she froze mid-pull, Gallina turned and saw what had petrified her. 

The wolf had opened up Marie’s chest, but spilled no blood. Only smoking shadows escaped her little body, and instead of devouring her, she devoured the wolf. It sank into her one paw at a time, as if it were stepping into a new set of clothes. Gallina watched, horrified, as she took in its massive presence, all that darkness boiled into the weak body of a scared child. 

And then, she rose. 

The dark bags around her eyes flooded down her cheeks like tear tracks and matched her sunken eyes, two black pits in her skull. When she opened her mouth, all that came out was a wolfish snarl behind too-long canines. The air around her seemed to grow heavy with shadows, and Gallina had the absurd thought that something unseen lurked within its depths, staring back. Something very, very big.

“Oh my god,” Kagami choked. 

“Marie!” Chat shouted. 

But the thing that had once been Marie opened its mouth in a roar and staggered on ungainly feet. Gallina remembered herself long enough to grab her mirror and shield Kagami and herself. But what she saw through its lens made her whimper in fear. 

Where Marie should have been instead lumbered a huge, three-headed monster of a wolf like something out of a nightmare. And she realized that that was exactly what it was. The nightmare was taking over Marie, taking control of her and wearing her like a new suit. 

“It’s taking her place,” Gallina said. 

“What’s taking her place?” Kagami said. 

“Cerberus—that’s her true shape.” Gallina held up her mirror so Kagami could see. 

“Cerberus? What are you talking about? That’s a little girl!”

_She can’t see it._

And neither could Chat. Gallina went cold at the thought.

“Marie, it’s just a bad dream, okay? I’m going to help you wake up,” Chat tried to cajole what appeared to him as a very sick little girl struggling to walk. 

Marie ambled toward him, sluggish like a bear, but Gallina saw only the three rapacious wolf heads angling for Chat. They were going to tear him apart, and he couldn’t even see it coming. She was running before she knew what had come over her, and before Chat could stop her, she jumped. 

Gallina wasn’t sure what she expected attacking what amounted to an incorporeal shadow, but it felt solid enough when she rammed the right-most head with her mirror shield. For a split second, she saw the monster’s true form like burst of static under the moonlight, until the darkness cloaked it once again. But it had been enough. Chat hissed and leaped backwards.

The power came back on all of a sudden up and down the block, but the artificial light only deepened the dead shadows veiling Marie, as if she alone remained dim and out of focus in the world. 

“That’s not Marie anymore!” Gallina said, eyes on her mirror and tracking Cerberus’s movements. 

“What do you mean, _anymore_?” Chat demanded. “What the hell did I just see?!”

Cerberus moved strangely, as if it was not used to its own skin. It was a bad dream taking its first steps into this plane of existence, vulnerable in its newness. She caught a fleeting glimmer of teeth from one of the heads with her naked eye, and a chilling realization of what they were truly up against dawned. 

“The nightmare, it’s getting stronger! It’s _becoming_ real!”

The three heads roared, and Marie’s skin roared with them. The rumble was a supernatural tremor that no mortal child could ever have conjured. 

Gallina’s Miraculous chirped another warning, and she began to panic. Soon, she would revert whether she wanted to or not, and this _thing_ would be no closer to dead. This thing that had been a little girl until Gallina had found her and exposed her. 

“Oh my god,” Gallina choked on a sob as a terrible thought came to her.

_Did I do this?_

“Chat, _do something_!” Kagami shouted. 

“But I… I can’t—”

Chat didn’t finish his thought before Cerberus lashed out at him with its center head. Miraculous instincts and an uncanny feline sense were the only things that kept Chat from being ripped in two right there. He swung his staff and caught the nightmare’s crushing jaws, but he couldn’t see his assailant and miscalculated his swing. Gallina screamed as she watched the beast bite down on Chat’s arm and lift him off his feet like a rag doll. Chat’s scream joined hers, but not for long. The nightmare flung him into a lamppost, where he fell to the ground in a growing puddle of his own blood. His arm hung useless and shredded at his side. It was a miracle that it hadn’t been ripped off entirely. 

Slowly, more of the creature flashed into sight and out again, like film roll stills. The lamppost Chat had destroyed in his fall flickered like a strobe and caught Cerberus’s silhouette as it advanced to finish him off. 

Kagami ran to help him. “Get up!”

Gallina wanted nothing more than to run away then. She wasn’t a part of any team, and there wasn’t anything else she could do. She would revert soon and be completely useless and vulnerable, and Chat and Kagami would die along with Marie. 

_She’s already dead._

Gallina had never been more sure of anything. That little girl had ceased to exist the moment the nightmare slipped into her skin. She was going to be sick. 

Kagami was half dragging, half carrying Chat as quickly as she could away from Marie. Each step she took boomed with a weight far greater than what she appeared to be. Chat was bleeding all over Kagami, dazed but conscious. 

They weren’t going to make it. 

“Hey!” Gallina yelled. “Over here!”

Marie-turned-Cerberus paused and swiveled toward her. Six yellow eyes trained on her and the mirror she held. 

“Yeah, that’s right. I see you, ugly bastard.”

_What the hell am I doing?!_

It was coming toward her now, and Kagami managed to pull Chat behind a car out of immediate danger. Marie’s puppet eyes held Gallina’s. 

_“And I see you, Intuition.”_

Gallina’s Miraculous chirped twice. Tears filled her eyes as the specter of hell itself loomed over her and spoke from beyond the pale. 

“Who… What are you?”

She had never been so afraid in her life—not since Imprism had hunted her down like an animal before Chat Noir had come to the rescue with Cataclysm at the last second. 

_“I am all there ever was, and all that shall remain.”_

Gallina screamed as Cerberus bared its three sets of fangs and dropped down on her. Fear had paralyzed her in her tracks. All she could do was shield herself with her mirror and pray.

“Cataclysm!” 

Teeth returned to shadows as they closed around her, and even the shadows burned to ashes. Marie screeched and convulsed around Chat’s corrosive claws jammed between her shoulder blades. Destruction’s power ate her alive until all that was left of her and the nightmare she’d become was a little black butterfly, its delicate wings turned to dust until there was no trace left. 

Amidst the falling ashes, Gallina met Chat’s gaze, but he wasn’t there behind the mask. 

“Holy shit!” Queen Bee said, landing hard out of nowhere next to him. “Chat!”

“Ladybug,” Kagami said, her gaze skyward. 

Gallina followed it to a figure silhouetted on a nearby rooftop against the eerie light of the moon. Ladybug looked down on them in silence, fists clenched and her back rigid. The sight of her seemed to reanimate some semblance of life in Chat, and he heaved as he clutched his shattered arm. 

“My lady.”

“Chat Noir,” she said in a hollow voice. “What have you done?”

Gallina’s Miraculous gave its final warning chirp. Orikko could hold her glamor no longer. Summoning what little was left of her strength, she turned tail and ran as fast and as far as she could before the transformation broke, and she was barefoot in a cocktail dress in some dark alley she did not know. 

Lila tripped and stumbled, skinning her knees and crying out in pain. Her back ached fiercely where one of the nightmare wolves had landed a swipe on her. Shaking, cold, and on the verge of tears, she struggled to get to her feet and keep going. Where, she didn’t know, but she couldn’t go back there. 

All she could see was Chat’s face as he looked up at Ladybug like a sinner to his god, hopeless and afraid in the face of her divine damnation.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FANART ALERT!!! Everybody go check out the supremely talented secretie’s stunning art of Lila in her full Gallina transformation: http://secretie.tumblr.com/post/184146575284/if-you-close-your-eyes-and-you-pick-a-side-will
> 
> I was beyond amazed to see that this story got over 600 new hits when I posted the last chapter. That’s truly incredible given the total hits it’s gotten overall, and I am so moved that people are reading this. An especially warm thank you to those of you who take the time to comment on this story. I know how easy it is to be a silent reader—quite a lot of you, if the hits are anything to go by—but knowing that I’m not just putting content out into the void with no reaction whatsoever is the single-most motivating factor that keeps me coming back to update. What may seem small or tedious to readers means so much to me, and really does go a long way. Thank you! :)
> 
> Next time: Luka is confused, Lila has tea, and Chloe definitely never signed up to be the team mom.


	10. Snakes and Ladders

When Luka finally made it home, it was to his mother and sister glued to the television set and the endless news reports.

“Luka,” Juleka said, the first to notice him making his way below deck on their houseboat. 

“Luka!” Anarka jumped out of the worn loveseat in a flourish of brightly-dyed skirts and drew her eldest into a crushing hug. “I was worried about you.”

“We both were.” Juleka had her arms crossed and a frown on her pretty face as she surveyed him from the couch. 

“Sorry, I know it’s late. I should’ve called, but I think I lost my phone,” Luka said. 

“It’s not the hour that worries me. Have you seen the news reports? _Two_ akumas in one night! The world is going to pot, I tell you,” Anarka said, pale. 

Luka winced. Maybe he’d just keep his involvement against Electrolyte to himself. “Not as long as Ladybug’s around to save the day.”

“Except she wasn’t. Not for one of the akumas, at least,” Juleka said grimly, indicating the television. 

The three of them gathered around and Juleka turned up the volume. Luka was stunned to hear the reports coming in about the second akuma—and the child that had ended up dead at the end of the fight. Chat Noir was responsible. 

“It’s a total FUBAR,” Anarka said. “Chat Noir’s so young… I can’t imagine what he must be feeling having to use his powers to put down a child like that, the poor thing.”

“Tell that to the child’s mom,” Juleka said. 

“Juleka.”

“Sorry, but that’s what everyone’s thinking.”

Luka was silent as he listened to the news reports. Chat Noir using his power against a person? He’d never done anything like that before. Even listening to an interview with an eye witness to the second akuma attack, Luka couldn’t imagine Chat Noir as the unchecked danger to civilians the man on television claimed him to be. 

_If Chat Noir’s a danger, then so are Ladybug and Queen Bee._

And he knew in his very soul that they were anything but. Queen Bee had been ready to sacrifice her life to protect Paris—to protect _him_. That was something only a true hero would do. Chat Noir was no different. Whatever he’d done, Luka was sure there was a good reason for it.

“Mom, I left your cello by the stairs,” Luka said.

“Thank you for picking it up. Oh, there are leftovers in the fridge if you want them. Did you eat?”

“Nah, thanks. I’ll grab them.”

Juleka followed him to the adjoining kitchenette. “Hey, where were you, anyway? The Music Store’s not exactly in the same neighborhood as Chateau Bourgeois.”

“I wasn’t at work this afternoon.” He prepared a plate of food and stuck it in the microwave. 

“Shirking your responsibilities? Huh, I’m actually really proud of you.”

Luka shrugged. “Eh, I’m taking double shifts the rest of the week to make up for it.”

She handed him a fork, but when he tried to take it, she waved it out of reach. She had a look in her eyes that was a combination of suspicious sister and creepy Japanese horror movie ghost girl. “What about the band? You have practice and gigs at night. You can’t just skip that.”

“Well, when it pays better then I can consider prioritizing it.” He made a grab for the fork, but she pulled back again. “Jules.”

She pursed her lips, and they stared each other down. Juleka put on a solid front, but Luka’s patience knew no equal. He waited, and she eventually relented. 

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” she said softly. “You’re her son, not her husband.”

“I’m all she has left,” he said just as softly so Anarka would not hear them over the television. 

“No, you’re not.”

“In this specific case, I am. You should be worrying about college.”

“Why? You didn’t.”

Luka forced himself to take a bite of food to catch himself before he could say something to escalate the conversation. He did not often quarrel with Juleka, but when they did, it was almost always about this. “I didn’t get your grades.”

“And I didn’t get your talent.” She laid a hand on his and searched his eyes. “You have as much of a right to live the life you want as I do. Dad’s sins are his alone.”

Luka smiled knowingly. It was moments like this when he knew every hour, every drop of sweat, every missed band practice was worth it. “I love you for saying that, but love won’t pay the electric bill.”

“But love will keep you going through a blackout.” She looked at him sadly. “I just wish you would think about your own happiness sometimes.”

“You think I don’t want to be happy?”

“I think you’re too willing to wait for everyone else to be happy before you even give yourself the chance. But just…don’t wait too long. Okay?”

She bade him goodnight, and Luka was left to stew with her words, unsure what to make of them. He was happy, wasn’t he? Life wasn’t glamorous, but it didn’t need to be. He had what he needed, and not even his father walking out on a wife and two kids could take that away. Luka had worked too hard to let it. One thing was certain: he would never abandon Anarka and Juleka the way his father had. To that end, he kept his head down and did his job, never minding the grind when he had two amazing women in his life who depended on him as much as he depended on them. What dream could be more important than the dream of a loving family? 

Yawning, he kissed his mother goodnight and headed to his small bedroom for the night. After showering and getting ready for bed, he dumped out the contents of his backpack on the bed, which included Chloe’s jewelry. In all the commotion of the night, he’d completely forgotten to give it to her before she disappeared in the middle of the akuma attack. Given how adamant she’d been about hunting it down, he was sure she would have appreciated a text letting her know it was safe with him, but he didn’t even have his phone.

Thinking of Chloe made him think about the time they’d spent at The Music Store. He had honestly expected her to walk out on him, but she had surprised him. If it hadn’t been for the akuma attack, he may have gotten to spend more time with her, too. He thought about that as he played with a thin, red, beaded necklace—one of four pieces Chloe had purchased that afternoon. 

Did he want that? To spend more time with her? There was never a dull moment with Chloe, that much was true. Lately, he didn’t have time for friends much, let alone girls with all the shifts he was taking. And under normal circumstances, he was sure he would never have crossed paths with a gorgeous hotel heiress. Then again, under normal circumstances he never would have helped a superhero take down a lethal akuma. It had not been a normal kind of day.

He thought about Queen Bee standing tall and proud in her stripes as he absently ran his fingers over a black and bone choker necklace next. He thought about her ripping into Electrolyte with her bare hands, utterly fearless. 

The way she’d come apart at the seams when Ladybug acknowledged her, like she had been waiting all her life to hear those words. 

The way she’d felt in his arms, beaten and broken and blind, but still so strong and confident in her choices and her sacrifice. 

Her cocky smile and stormy, blue eyes. 

_“Maybe in your dreams, pretty boy.”_

Luka laughed at himself. Something told him he’d be dreaming tonight.

“Sssssomething amusing, Human?”

Luka opened his mouth to reply without thinking, but caught himself when he noticed the blue steel bangle in his hands that he’d grabbed without realizing it. And the voice, unfamiliar.

…And the snake coiled around the bangle and his fingers. 

The _talking_ snake. 

“I’m…sorry?”

The snake grinned, revealing two disturbingly long, folding fangs and a forked tongue. “No, no, _I’m_ sorry for interrupting a perfectly ssssssumptuous daydream. Do go on.”

Luka considered himself a reasonable guy. He was not quick to judge, nor quick to panic. Ponderous, he stared at the snake. All things considered, this was not the strangest thing he had seen today, right? A being with control over thunder and lightning was definitely stranger. 

The snake watched him, unblinking. Did snakes blink? He didn’t think so. He also didn’t think they talked, though, so there was that…

He cleared his throat. “Well…I was thinking about Queen Bee.”

The snake’s golden eyes grew wide, and he coiled more tightly around Luka’s thumb. “Majesssssty… Pollen’s is a sweet poison I know well. Tell me, Human, who are you? What is the year?”

_I’m talking to a snake._

And yet, it seemed unconscionably rude not to answer the perfectly reasonable question. “I’m Luka Couffaine, and it’s 2019.”

The snake made a raspy, hissing noise, and Luka realized he must be laughing. “Two hundred and thirty-nine yearsssss since my Chosen lost his life.”

“Chosen?”

“John André, the greatest spy I ever trained. A true ssssavant. And now you…” The snake uncoiled and slithered through the air to _hover_ in front of his face. “You have talent, Human Luka. I can see it in your sssssoul.”

Luka was about to correct the snake that just ‘Luka’ was fine, but then he decided that correcting a talking, magical, _flying_ snake was not in the top five most pressing issues at hand currently. 

“Hmm yesssss,” the snake crooned, undulating his short, scaled body. “Good things come to those who wait. You know this in your bonessssss.”

Luka did not know what to make of this. Nothing and no one had prepared him for a magic snake summoned from jewelry like a genie from a bottle. This was new territory, and all he could do was figure it out as he went. So he asked the one question that he decided made the most sense right now. 

“Who are you?”

The snake flared his hood, the closest approximation to shrugging without arms, Luka figured. “I am Sass the Timelesssssss. And you… You are my new Chosen, Human Luka.”

“Oh. Um…okay. Chosen for what?”

Sass watched Luka with hypnotic, yellow eyes. Instead of answering, he bared his fangs and wheezed his hissing, rasping laugh.

* * *

 

She said she understood why he did it. 

He’d had no choice, he said. He couldn’t let Gallina or anyone else get killed, he said. And she said she understood. She said she understood, and then she left. 

She did that a lot lately, Ladybug. Marinette. 

“Marinette,” Adrien said to an old picture of Ladybug on his phone doing a victory pose.

“Uh, I think I saw her heading to Lit class,” Nino said. “Dude, you okay? You look pastier than usual today.”

Adrien rubbed his stubbly chin. Still reeling after last night’s battle, he’d risen like the dead this morning and his zombie brain forgot to shave. For the life of him, he couldn’t even remember the drive to school. “Sorry, I’m…”

_Fine. I’m fine._

But he wasn’t fine. 

Nino seemed to have picked up on his friend’s dour mood and handed him a Twizzler. “You wanna talk about it? My office is always open to you.”

They sat across from each other at a picnic table in the green under the bright sun as students passed them by, chatting and laughing and hurrying to their next class. Adrien turned his phone over, unable to look at Ladybug’s image anymore. All he could think when he saw her bright blue eyes was how glassy they had been to look upon him huddled on the ground in the last throes of Cataclysm, Marie’s ashes falling through his fingers. He ran those same fingers through his hair, gently at first and then more harshly. He had a sudden but intense urge to rip out his hair. How much pressure would it really take to rip out a chunk? Would it hurt? Would he bleed?

“Whoa, hey, ease up on the self-loathing there, buddy.” Nino took his wrist, gentle but firm, and coaxed his fingers out of his hair. “Yo, talk to me, for real. What’s going on with you?”

Adrien looked at Nino, his best bro, his first real friend made at Dupont after Chloe. There had been times when he envied Nino his sociability, how easy it was for Nino, but never as intensely as he felt it now. It was a vice grip around the back of his neck, strangling. Ever since Adrien had become Chat Noir, his life had become a hundred times better, _freer_. His life was his, if only for an hour or two here and there. 

But with Hawk Moth’s nightmare akumas and a death toll to keep track of and his relationship with Ladybug still on ice, he was beginning to wonder if his bad luck was, after all, a curse. The power of Destruction… In what universe was that something that inspired hope or safety in people’s hearts? What kind of hero ruined everything he touched? What kind of man couldn’t find the right words to talk to the woman he loved?

What a preposterous thought. Man? He was no man; he was a boy, small and afraid and so very, very lonely. He couldn’t even tell his best friend what was really bothering him. 

“Nothing,” Adrien said, digging deep for the eternal smile that had been carved upon his soul after years of training for the cameras and for his father. “I’m just not feeling 100% today, that’s all.”

Nino looked at him, but he was trusting by nature. “Right, well in that case, I think you should cut out early, take a nap or something. You look like hell, man.”

Adrien did smile at that one. There was no arguing that point. “Yeah.”

Nino continued to watch him, thoughtful. “Man, somethin’ must be going around, you know? Alya’s been like the walking dead lately, too. All these freak-ass nightmare akumas got me shakin’ in my socks.”

“Yeah,” was all Adrien could manage, not really paying attention. “It’s been rough on a lot of people.”

“I’ll say. Hey, I know what’ll cheer you up! Doting.”

“Uh, what?”

“Dude, don’t even. You are a Class A Doter like no one ever was. You live to please people.”

Adrien thought about that. “I guess?”

“And who better to dote on than a couple of smokin’ hot babes, eh? _Eh_?” Nino lowered his glasses and waggled his eyebrows in the most un-seductive way possible. 

Adrien feigned a cringe. “Now you’re scaring me.”

Nino playfully punched his shoulder. “Aw, come on. For real though, Alya could seriously use it. And from what she’s said, Marinette could, too.”

Adrien’s throat clenched. “Marinette?”

“Yeah. Word on the street is they’re having a sleepover at Alya’s. You know, chocolate and nail polish and hot goss.”

“Hot goss… You mean like gossip?”

“Dude, keep _up_. I thought I trained you better than this.” Nino looked around like he was embarrassed to be seen with such a n00b. “I dunno if you’ve noticed? But Mar’s been kinda down lately. I mean, haven’t we all, I guess, but Alya’s worried about her. So, you know, what better pick-me-up than a couple of mail order models, eh? _Eh_?” He waggled his eyebrows again. 

“Models, huh? I didn’t know Mireille was down to crash a sleepover with me.”

Nino tried to smack Adrien with his cap. “Hilarious. You know I lift, just like, FYI.”

“I know. I’ve you seen you lift many a croissant to your mouth since I’ve known you.”

“Among other things.” Nino grinned. “So, you in? I know for a fact the girls would love to see you.”

Adrien seriously doubted that. “I don’t know…”

“If you say it’s a school night, I’m coming over there with my hat.” He brandished his hat.

It was a bad idea. Marinette would be surprised to see him, alright, but not in the way Nino thought. And yet…

His stupid goddamned hope gnawed at him like a tiny dog at his ankle. What if this was the chance he needed to sit down with her one on one, no interruptions? As Adrien and Marinette, free from the burdens and the masks, just for an hour or two. After last night’s hasty retreat and cold parting words, he knew he needed it. Wanted it. Maybe… Maybe she wanted it, too? What if she didn’t?

Adrien shook his head. No, Kagami was right. Marinette owed him a chance to set the record straight, and he owed it to himself to try. 

“Adrien?”

“I’ll go with you,” he said.

“Don’t sound so serious, man. This is supposed to be fun.”

Fun? Adrien tried to remember the last time he’d had fun. Maybe his birthday party with all his friends, until the killer clown showed up and murdered a guy right in front of him. Adrien imagined the scene from a different angle, only he was the clown, cold and crazed, and Marie’s broken body lay writhing at his feet. He got up abruptly and felt a rush of blood to his head. 

“Sure, fun, okay,” Adrien said, dizzy as he stumbled out of the picnic bench. “So fun.”

“Hey, you okay?”

“Fine, I’m fine! Just class, gotta go. I’ll see you later, okay?”

He didn’t stick around to hear Nino’s reply and dashed off. Plagg hissed in his jacket pocket. 

“Pull it together, kid. You’re practically announcing your fear to anybody with a nose.”

“My bad, next time I kill a little girl I’ll try not to make a scene after.”

Plagg literally hissed like a cat at that. “You didn’t _kill_ anybody, you moron. She was long dead before you got your claws in her.”

“Oh, great, that makes me feel _loads_ better.”

“It goddamn better, because it’s the _truth_.”

Plagg practically radiated resentment, but Adrien didn’t have time to argue with his irascible kwami. He had to focus on getting through the rest of the day without throwing up on someone or having a nervous breakdown. You know, normal teenager issues. 

His next class was Physics, a welcome distraction that lulled his agitated mind back into the zombie stupor he’d been in all day before talking to Nino. One hour at a time, that was how he would get through this godawful day. One excruciating hour at a time. 

By the time the final bell rang, Adrien had been so absorbed in the mindless monotony of schoolwork that he barely caught Nino’s thumbs up and whispered promise to call later so they could meet up before heading to Alya’s. Oh, right, shit. He’d agreed to that. 

Before he could wallow again in self-doubt and guilt over his actions in the last twenty-four hours, he caught a glimpse of brunette and burgundy and froze. He hadn’t seen her since last night, since before he knew the truth with dead certainty. Lila chatted up Max and Kim as the three of them left the classroom together like nothing at all was amiss. But Adrien watched her, unable to help himself from staring, and he wondered. How was it possible for her to look so vibrant? So normal? After what she’d been through last night, how could she possibly act like none of it had happened? For a moment of utter lunacy, he almost gaslighted himself into thinking he’d been mistaken about her, that she hadn’t unwittingly transformed into Gallina right before his eyes.

She felt his gaze and met it, and every fiber in Adrien’s being told him to look away, it was impolite to stare. But he could not. He could not help but bore into her, try to see past the mask she wore even now, every day, perfect like even his could never be. 

In a few seconds her expression changed from playful and polite to thoughtfully suspicious, and then the most uncanny thing happened. Adrien watched, arrested, as she transformed into a different creature entirely. Her normally soft face hardened taut, deep green eyes grew cold and calculating, and she saw him. She _saw_ him behind the mask for who he really was.

Max and Kim had gone on ahead, and more students filed out around them, until only Adrien and Lila remained in Ms. Mendeleiev’s classroom. Neither spoke. The silence between them was heavy the way clouds are before it pours—omnipotent and inevitable. 

“Hi, Lila,” he said in a voice he barely recognized. 

Her eyes flashed like lightning and narrowed. “You.”

Adrien approached. “Me.”

He was a good half head taller than her, but nothing and no one could ever loom over Lila Rossi. She stood her ground, much like she’d done last night facing the monster only she could see. Adrien wondered what kind of monster she saw in him now to stand in such defiance the way she did. 

She burst out laughing, and Adrien faltered. “You’re _joking_.”

“Excuse me?”

“Wow.” She wiped her eye as her giggle subsided. “It’s just unexpected, that’s all.”

“What is?”

“That you fooled even me.” She looked him in the eye, and he got the eerie sensation that she saw parts of him he’d hidden away, the ugly and the dark and the helpless. “Not many can.”

“I want an explanation,” Plagg snapped. He phased out of Adrien’s jacket pocket and bared his tiny fangs. 

Lila was only mildly intrigued by the sight of a spitting cat god hovering in front of her. “An explanation?”

“I wasn’t talking to _you_.”

Lila looked between Plagg and Adrien, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Nonetheless, Adrien imagined well-oiled gears turning in her head as she figured something out, something she obviously did not intend to share with the class. 

“What do you want?” Lila demanded. She deliberately ignored Plagg and looked at Adrien. Her kwami did not materialize without her express permission. 

There were so many things Adrien could have said to that. He thought again of Marie, how cold she’d been even through his gloves, like porcelain. He thought of Ladybug, tears in her eyes as she ran from him when he finally showed her his truth. He thought of darkness, destruction, the power of super massive black holes in the palm of his hand take, take, taking, and how it was never going to be enough. How much it hurt. And how good it had felt, just for a moment—invincible. How much it scared him even to have such thoughts.

“I want to do this right,” he said. 

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you’re coming with me. There’s someone you need to meet. Get your things, we’re leaving right now.”

* * *

 

Nobody was answering their goddamn phone today. Was she being blacklisted? Chloe tried to recall if she’d said anything particularly heinous recently that would merit the radio silence. She put the thought immediately out of her head because no matter what she said, there was no way either Luka or Adrien would just not text her back. Nice people like them didn’t do that kind of thing, ever. So what the hell?

Adrien insisted he was okay. He was tired and beat, and he wanted to go home and sleep. She’d let him after the shit night he’d had, but that boy needed a Mr. Rogers-level talking to and probably a Valium. What little she’d seen of him during school was fleeting and fruitless. He insisted he was fine, the stubborn ass. But she couldn’t force him. Adrien was a quiet, kind soul, but he was immovable as stone when he got an idea in his pretty head. And today’s idea seemed to be denial. 

She tried looking for him after final period, but he’d disappeared and wasn’t answering his phone. Luka was no better, which honestly surprised Chloe. Of all people, she assumed he would not be the one to ghost her texts. He had better have the Miraculous she’d recovered yesterday, or she would scalp him. 

“Hey, I know! Luka will be at home, right? Since he works there?” Pollen offered as Chloe waited for Jean to pick her up. 

She hadn’t thought of that. Huh. “You’re absolutely right.” Face to face conversation was definitely more her strong suit, anyway. All the better to corner people with. 

Pollen preened at being praised. Chloe checked the time on her phone and wondered where the hell Jean was. At this rate, it might be faster if she simply transformed and ran home herself. She was lost in thought staring at the home screen of her phone and didn’t notice the presence that joined her quietly. 

“Waiting for someone?”

Chloe jumped and dropped her phone. “Jesus Christ! What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me?”

Marinette flushed. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you!”

Chloe snatched her phone and pocketed it. She was about to tell Marinette off when she caught herself and looked the other girl in the eyes—Ladybug’s eyes. 

_Right._

Chloe cleared her throat. “Whatever, it’s fine.”

Marinette looked at her oddly before smiling a little. “Yeah, okay.”

“So what’s wrong?”

“Why would anything be wrong?”

“You came to talk to me. Did something happen?”

Marinette studied her with that same fish out of water look that had always annoyed Chloe so much. “Is that what you think? That I’d only ever come to talk to you if something was wrong?”

Chloe opened her mouth to answer that, but caught herself. Okay, contrary to popular belief, Chloe was a _little_ introspective when she bothered to care. Problem was there was generally very little reason to care because people, by and large, were a disappointment. Better to skip the benefit and cut straight to the doubt. 

Marinette had been much and more of the same since Chloe had met her. She never _really_ mattered, even when she was being annoying or mean. Except now, Marinette was Ladybug. Now, Marinette knew what Ladybug knew, saw what Ladybug saw in Chloe. Now, things were different. 

Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose. “Let me rephrase.” She took a deep breath and stood up straight, trying her best to look not snooty. “What’d you want to talk to me about?”

“Oh, um, well…” Marinette held out her phone. “I just realized, you know, I don’t actually have your number? Civilian number, I mean. Obviously I have the other one.”

“No.”

Marinette blinked. “No?”

“ _No_ , this is not how it’s going to be anymore.” Chloe took her wrist and dragged her aside away from prying eyes and ears. “Cut it out already.”

“Cut what out?”

“The nervous act. You’re _Ladybug_ , for fuck’s sake.”

Marinette frowned. “I’m aware.”

“So what are you doing? You had no problem doling out orders last night. It’s not like I’m going to bite your head off. I mean, not any _more_.”

Marinette was quiet a moment as she thought about that. “We’re not friends, you and me.”

It was entirely superfluous and honestly dumb, but nevertheless Chloe felt that truth like a hard poke to the gut. She was about to say something dismissive when Marinette beat her to it. 

“But I, um… I think I’d like to be.” She held out her phone dangling a cartoonish cat charm. “If you’re comfortable with it, I mean. Maybe…we could try it?”

Chloe’s first thought was that it wasn’t technically necessary for them to be friends and work well together. Hell, they’d been doing it for months already. “Why?”

“Because I meant what I said last night. You’re worthy of the Bee Miraculous, and that means you’re a good person.” Marinette smiled. “And because I _want_ to be your friend, if you’ll give me a chance.”

And that was how Chloe Bourgeois got Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s phone number, complete with a cute picture to go with the contact card on her iPhone. 

“It doesn’t feel like a time to be making friends,” Chloe said. 

“I know, but that makes it all the more important for us to stick together. Master Fu was right: I can’t do this alone. None of us can. So why should we try?”

Chloe didn’t have anything to say to refute that, so she just nodded. “Does that include Adrien?”

Marinette frosted over. “Of course.”

“Really?”

“What do you mean, ‘really’?”

“I mean you _really_ don’t know how to sell that lie.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Well, you’re not being honest. Same thing.”

Marinette didn’t answer. 

“Marinette, I mean, like… If you can get to a place where you want to make it work with me, you can do the same for Adrien.”

“It’s not that, just…”

“Just…?”

They shared a look, and Chloe was surprised at the ice in Marinette’s gaze. 

“You know it wasn’t his fault,” Chloe said. “She was already dead.”

“I know.”

“Do you? Because itkind of looks like you’re clinging to an excuse.”

“Can you blame me?” Marinette’s voice was soft and paper-thin, almost ashamed. 

“Yeah, I can, actually. What are you and Adrien even doing? This should be easy for you.”

Marinette flushed. “You honestly think this is _easy_?”

“Yes! You’re the ones making it impossible by not talking to each other. I mean, _seriously_. You and me? If we can work out our shit, it should be a piece of cake for the guy you’re in love with.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“It literally is. You’re just afraid.”

“Yeah, I’m afraid. I’m terrified.”

Chloe paused. Marinette was no longer looking at her as she tried to keep her emotions in check. And goddamn her stupid heart, but Chloe felt a tiny bit bad. “It’s okay to be afraid.”

“But it’s really not. That’s the whole problem, isn’t it?” Marinette sniffled and tried to play it off like she just had something in her eye so anyone walking by wouldn’t notice. “You want to know the truth? I’ve always envied your confidence. Even when it seemed like the whole world was against you, that never stopped you doing what you decided to do. You’ve always been so…so unapologetically _you_. That’s how I knew the Bee Miraculous would accept you even if I personally wasn’t ready to at the time. But I’m not like you.”

“You’re wrong. You’re so wrong it’s ridiculous.”

Marinette looked up at her, and Chloe bit her lip. She felt eyes on her, real or imagined, exposing and searching. But fuck them. They didn’t matter. 

“You’re wrong because being brave doesn’t mean you’re not afraid. It’s about pushing through the fear because whatever’s waiting on the other side is worth the pain.”

“Is that what you were thinking when you went for that akuma last night?” Marinette asked. “That it would be worth it?”

“Not exactly. I just decided I was done letting that asshole have his way.”

Marinette smiled wryly. “Seems like a pretty good motivation to me.”

A horn blared, and Chloe saw Jean pull up the car for her. She waved him down. “That’s my ride. Fun as this has been, I have shit to do.”

“Oh, um, okay.” Marinette actually looked a little disappointed. 

“Hey, what you said before? About, like, giving the friend thing a try.”

“Yeah?” 

Chloe bit her lip and tried to ignore every instinct telling her to play it off like she didn’t care. It was Ladybug asking, after all. “It’s not the worst idea you’ve ever had, I guess.”

Marinette lit up and waved her goodbye as Chloe got in the back of her town car. 

* * *

 

Of all the ideas Gallina had about today’s forced meeting, she had not been expecting tea with a geriatric Chinese man who wasn’t even Miraculous. She followed Chat Noir across Paris to the humble apartment and now sat opposite him and Wang Fu, a self-styled Guardian of the Miraculous, whatever that meant. 

“Claws in,” Chat said, reverting back to Adrien in his casual clothes. 

“Thank you both for coming,” Fu said as he poured Adrien a cup of tea. “It is very nice to meet you, Gallina.”

“Drop the glamor,” Adrien said. “There’s no point in keeping it up.”

“Maybe I’m comfortable like this,” Gallina said. 

Plagg bared his claws. “Oh, yeah? Because I can make it really _un_ comfortable for you.” 

“Fighting words for such a little kitten.”

“I’m about to give the phrase ‘cat got your tongue’ a literal meaning, you insolent human.”

“Hey, that’s enough, Plagg,” Adrien said.

“Yes, let us be civil, please,” Fu said. “Gallina, you and Orikko both are very welcome here. I would very much like to meet him, if that’s agreeable to you?”

Gallina supposed it didn’t really matter if it was agreeable or not. She was having a hard time getting a read on Adrien since he’d revealed himself to her, and a small but insistent part of her told her not to push her luck with him right now. This was not the Adrien she knew. Really, she didn’t know him at all. 

_Nobody does._

“Sun down,” she recited the incantation releasing Orikko from her Miraculous. 

“Destruction,” Orikko said curtly. “Five hundred years and you’re as feral as the day we last parted. It’s comforting that some things will never change.”

Plagg bared his fangs and got in Orikko’s face. “Feral?! _You’re_ the one letting your Chosen run around like a headless chicken! What, you couldn’t be bothered to teach her how to control your power?”

Orikko was unmoved. “Experience is often the best teacher. And unlike your ilk, Intuition is inborn. It cannot be _taught_.”

“Five hundred years and you’re still so high and mighty. How about a trip to the Void, eh? See if you can shine your little flashlight in there.” Plagg raised a threatening claw, and Orikko flinched. 

“Put that away or you’ll regret it.” Lila grabbed Orikko before Plagg could attack. “If you think I came here to let you threaten Orikko or me, you’re sorely mistaken. I don’t have to sit and listen to this.”

“Quite right,” Fu said, an edge to his tone. “Plagg, I do not think this line of conversation is productive. Perhaps you and Orikko can catch up later.”

It was not a request, and Plagg grumbled something foul under his breath. He went back to Adrien, however, and angrily wolfed down a cheese triangle Adrien silently offered him. 

_This Guardian, they all defer to him,_ Lila thought as she observed. She made a note to ask Orikko about it later. 

“Now then,” Fu said, pushing a plate of shortbread cookies closer to Lila in a peace offering. “Perhaps I should explain a few things.”

“I know how this works. Once I’m Chosen, the bond is for life. Of course you know that, so my guess is you want to try and get me to play nice with Ladybug and the others.”

“Oh, well, yes, that’s part of it. You see, my job is to protect the Miraculous jewels, but since I was robbed, they are out in the world and could fall into unwitting hands—hands that may not be as savvy as you in taking up the mantle of Miraculous.”

Lila sipped her tea to hide her smirk. Fu might be old, but he was not senile. He even made it sound like he genuinely cared. She needed to maintain the upper hand here. “Why don’t you have a Miraculous?”

“Me?”

“If you’re some kind of Guardian, shouldn’t you be Chosen, too?”

“Master Fu is Chosen,” Adrien said a little defensively. “He just said he was robbed.”

Lila looked at him like one might a child asserting his adorably inchoate opinion. “That’s so unfortunate.”

“It is true, I’m afraid. I have made many mistakes as Guardian, but I learned much from my time with Wayzz. Some might even call me wise, occasionally.” He set down his tea and held her gaze. “I would like to impart some of my wisdom to you, too, if you’ll allow me the opportunity. You’re intelligent and observant, that much is plain to see. But Orikko is correct: experience is the best teacher. I have that in spades. Why not use me to your advantage?”

_He’s very good._

There would be little toying with this one. 

“Why did you keep Orikko locked away for five hundred years?”

In her hands, Orikko tensed, but he respectfully did not speak against her. 

“I have only been Guardian for a century and a half, so I cannot speak to my predecessors’ decisions. For myself, it was a matter of trust and security. After the temple where I was raised and trained burned down, I barely escaped with my life and the Miraculous. The rest is a dreary tale of an old vagabond wandering from place to place, hoping to elude those who would stop at nothing to take power for themselves. Unfortunately, I have not succeeded entirely.”

“You mean, Hawk Moth?” Adrien said. “You’ve never told me this story.”

“It is a source of great shame for me. Whatever you may think of me, Adrien, I am only human, and I make mistakes. Considering the events of the past several weeks, I have had time to ruminate and reflect on my decisions leading up to this.” Fu looked at Lila, and then at Orikko. “I thought I could keep you safe locked away in a box. It is gravely dangerous to entrust someone with a Miraculous. Even those properly Chosen may use their power for ill. It is a risk past Guardians have had to navigate, sometimes to their great and tragic peril.

“But without trust, without hope, we are all blind—to the evil looming over us and to the good in the hearts of those around us.” Fu held out his hand in offering. “Orikko, you have Chosen Lila and put your trust in her. I hope you will both allow me the chance to earn your trust in turn.”

Lila was a little stunned by Fu’s candor. He was a man with power, if the way Adrien visibly hung on his every word was anything to go by. And yet, he chose not to wield it, leaving the choice to trust him and his guidance up to her. It was hard not to want to listen to him, even just a little. 

“Wayzz has taught you well, indeed,” Orikko said softly. 

Fu smiled. “I have much yet to learn.”

Orikko hopped from Lila’s hand to Fu’s, and Fu dipped his head respectfully. 

“It is an honor, Intuition.”

“Guardian, well met.”

Lila caught Adrien watching her and wondered what he thought of all this. Plagg was strangely silent. She did not trust the black cat or his intentions at all. 

“Now then,” Fu said, setting Orikko gently down on the table. “I think you should begin your training immediately.”

“What?” Lila and Adrien said at the same time. 

“Training. Adrien, you have been working with Ladybug and Queen Bee for some time now, but Lila has not had that opportunity. Since you two are acquainted and have already worked together before, I think you would be a good choice to train her. And besides, since Ladybug and Queen Bee were not invited today, I can only conclude that they do not know about our meeting.”

Adrien flushed. “Well, no, but it’s not that I’m keeping secrets from them or anything.”

Lila wasn’t so sure about that. After the way Ladybug had looked at him last night when he Cataclysmed the Cerberus, and the news reports debating whether Chat Noir was a danger to people, she had some idea of why Adrien had kept their clandestine meeting just that. 

“Well I am,” Lila said, sparing him an embarrassing denial no one here would believe. “You might have figured out my identity, but I’m not on board to just announce myself to Ladybug and Queen Bee.”

“You’ll have to eventually,” Adrien said. 

“I don’t _have_ to do anything, actually.” She got up. “Unlike you, I do prefer to work alone.”

Adrien got up too. “You don’t have a choice. The things we’re up against aren’t something any one of us can take on alone. Or have you already forgotten about Marie?”

A chill ran down Lila’s neck as she recalled the Cerberus looming over her, hardly more than a figment. And yet, the fear it had inspired could have stopped lightning. That thing, that monster… It had completely consumed Marie. 

Unbidden, Lila remembered a news clip she’d watched later that night where Nadja Chamack had interviewed Marie’s mother. 

_“She took my little girl from me,”_ the woman had said in a creepy monotone, as if in shock. _“She was asleep in her bed, and that Gallina, she just came in and took her.”_

She hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night watching that same interview replayed over and over across the various local news channels. Her hands grew clammy, and her stomach twisted uncomfortably. That look in Adrien’s eyes was as hollow as the girl’s mother’s had been. Lila _hated_ that look.

“How could I forget you Cataclysming her right in front of me?” Lila hissed. 

Adrien flinched, and Lila instantly regretted her words. Too far, that had been too far. But as soon as the thought entered her mind, she forced herself to let it go. She began to notice just how stuffy the room was. Stifling, even. 

She averted her gaze from Adrien’s and tried to ignore the uncomfortable heat in her cheeks. “I have to go.”

“Wait, please,” Fu said. 

But Lila was already rushing out the door and summoning Orikko’s powers to transform. She ran across Paris, not once looking back for fear that Chat Noir would be there, those empty, green eyes seeing right through her. She didn’t stop until she ended up in a quiet residential neighborhood far outside the city, winded and sore and uncertain where exactly she was. But it didn’t matter so long as it was far away from him, from the reminder that it wasn’t his fault at all. 

She dropped her glamor and slumped against an old oak tree. Families were inside enjoying dinner together or watching television, and no one noticed the young woman in the gloom all alone. 

Orikko said nothing for a few minutes as he waited for her to catch her breath and calm down a little. He perched on her bent knee, dark eyes placid and observant as he kept a look out. “What will you do?”

Lila looked at him. There was no judgment in his look, only a thoughtful curiosity and willingness to accept. Five hundred years he’d been locked away. Lila had never quite considered just how old Orikko was, how much he had seen in his life. Perhaps nothing surprised him anymore. Perhaps he’d experienced pain and death and loss on a scale incomprehensible to her transient teenage life. And perhaps he would judge her for her ignorance, scold her for her carelessness, explain and exposit that she had made a mistake and that he knew better. But he did not. 

“I don’t know,” Lila admitted. 

What could she do? Nothing would bring that little girl back. Nothing would ever fill the hole she left behind in her mother’s heart. Nothing would change Adrien’s choice to sacrifice himself to save Lila. They would both have to live with the consequences.

Lila closed her eyes and hugged herself. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Trust yourself,” Orikko said. “You will know.”

She bit her lip and nodded, wishing she could believe him. But she could not, no matter how hard she tried. 

The last person in the world she could ever trust was herself.

* * *

 

The minute Chloe got home, she dropped her bag in her room and let Pollen out to tend to the Amazon rainforest growing on her windowsills. Even with the windows open the smell of nectar and honey was redolent. Bumble bees and honey bees were attracted to the timeless blooms sustained by Pollen’s magic and buzzed from flower to flower. 

“Stay here. I’m going to find Luka.”

Men in dusty jeans and paint-stained T-shirts greeted her politely as she passed them. Luka was on his back under the sink installing a new garbage disposal, and when she crouched down and poked his thigh, he hit his head on a pipe and swore colorfully. Chloe cracked a smile at his expense. 

“So you do have a fuse,” she said.

Luka shimmied out from under the sink and removed his work gloves. “Chloe? Sorry, I thought you were one of the guys.”

Chloe’s smile dropped. “You thought what?”

One of the other workers in earshot heard the exchange and snickered. Luka shot him a warning look. 

“I just meant you surprised me is all.”

“That’s funny, because you surprised me, too. I didn’t peg you as the ghosting type.”

“What’re you talking about?”

Chloe showed him her phone and the outgoing texts to him, all unanswered. “Explain.”

“Oh, that. I lost my phone last night. Believe me, I would’ve called you if I could have…”

She narrowed her eyes. He didn’t seem like the type to make excuses or string her along for any reason. Maybe she could take him at his word. “Well, it’s super inconvenient, you not having a phone. You should hurry up and get a new one.”

Luka dusted himself off and got to his feet. “Sure, I’ll get right on that.”

Chloe didn’t like his tone. Why was he being defensive? 

“Couffaine, if you’re done with the sink, Diaz needs your help with the granite countertop,” said the foreman. He nodded at Chloe. “Mademoiselle.”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” Luka said. “Chloe, I really need to talk to you.”

“Same. Why do you think I was texting you? I need that jewelry back.”

Luka set his jaw in hesitation. He seemed almost nervous. “Yeah, about that.”

“If you tell me you lost that last night too, I will literally slap you.”

“What? No, of course not. But there’s just something I really need to—”

“Couffaine,” the foreman said, passing by the kitchen again. “I’m not gonna tell you again.”

Luka winced. “Sorry, I’m coming now.” To Chloe he said, “I get a break at 4. Can you please make time then? It’s important.”

Chloe was not accustomed to waiting, but it appeared she had no choice in the matter. Her phone buzzed as she settled on the bed back in her room.

[Adrien: Got your texts. Sorry for MIA. Something came up.]

“What the hell is going on with everyone?” she grumbled, texting him back.

[Chloe: Good or bad kind of something?]

[Adrien: Not sure yet.]

The typing bubbles danced as Adrien drafted another message, and then they stopped. There was a long pause with nothing, then more bubbles. Chloe watched with increasing suspicion. 

[Adrien: It’s about Gallina.]

“This dick again.”

“Everything okay, Sweetness?” Pollen said, floating over to the bed to read Chloe’s text exchange. “What’s going on?”

“Wish I knew.”

[Chloe: What about her?]

[Chloe: ???]

[Adrien: I’m looking in to something. I’ll let you know.]

Chloe was not about to accept that and tried calling him. It cut to voicemail after just two rings, and she scoffed. He was deliberately ignoring her call? Seriously? 

“What’s going _on_?” She fell back on the bed, frustrated. 

Two hours dragged by in which Chloe was so bored she actually did some homework. As it turned out, Joan of Arc was a complete badass down to the day she was burned at the stake as a heretic. Chloe had skimmed through two meaty academic papers and typed out a couple paragraphs of the executive summary Miss Bustier was expecting on Friday when she heard a knock on her door. 

Luka, sans stained hoodie and work shoes, poked his head in. “Can I come in?” His eyes lingered on the overgrown flowers in the windows.

“About time. Where’s my jewelry?”

He closed the door behind him and handed her a familiar paper bag. Inside where the Dog, Dragon, and Tiger Miraculous. Chloe slowly set down the bag. 

“I thought you said you didn’t lose anything. There should be one more in here.” She looked up at him, ready to lose her temper. “Well?”

He remained standing at the door, his hands behind his back like he had something to hide. She was instantly suspicious. 

“Luka.”

He was watching her like he was trying to figure something out, and it was starting to get on her nerves. “There’s…something I need to tell you, and I’m having a little trouble figuring out how.”

She advanced on him. The heady scent of flowers teemed in her veins, strangely invigorating. “Just tell me.”

He swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Please don’t get upset.” He brought his hands in front of himself and showed her his left wrist. The Snake Miraculous sat snugly among his other woven bracelets and bands, a simple, blue-tinted, steel bangle that would have never attracted any special attention at all except to those who knew where to look. Looking closely now, Chloe could make out the shape of an ouroboros carved into the bangle.

“You…kept one?” Chloe said. 

“More like he kept me.”

Chloe didn’t understand. Or rather, she understood but she did not _accept_. The cold dread that sank in the pit of her stomach only grew with the silence between them, and she looked up to meet his eyes. It was her own undoing as he read the truth she could not hide.

Marinette was going to murder her. 

She would do it as Ladybug, strangulation by yo-yo. No, maybe a Lucky Charm crossbow arrow through the eyeball Walking Dead style. Or maybe just a cold glare that froze the blood in her veins. 

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t you,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

Panic clawed its way from the pooling, cold dread in her belly as she and Luka continued their awkward staring contest. 

_Shit._

_SHIT._

She tried to say something, but managed only a croaking sound.

“Yeah, I figured…” Luka said. “Sass, you can come out.”

A blue snake with a broad, hooded head slithered around the back of Luka’s neck and stuck his forked tongue out at Chloe. He smirked, baring fangs. “You smell sssssssweet, Human.”

Chloe stared in horror at the irrefutable kwami latched onto Luka. “Oh, shit.”

Sass wheezed a laugh that sent chills down Chloe’s back. Her head swam, and she steadied herself on her desk and tried to breathe as the full weight of realization dawned. 

_I have to tell him I’m Queen Bee._

The thought turned her stomach. She had not prepared for this at all. It had never occurred to her that she might be exposed without her consent. Was this how Marinette had felt when Chloe confronted her? When Adrien did the same thing? To have her choice ripped away and then be blamed for it—Chloe wanted to scream.

Luka reached for her. “Whoa, are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”

Chloe looked at him, _really_ looked at him. That was genuine concern in his eyes, but she already knew that. However short their acquaintance had been, the first thing Chloe learned about Luka was that he was kind in ways most people are not. He had not come to her out of malice or manipulation, but because he was confused. Because she was the logical choice. Because, maybe, he trusted her.

No, outing her was something Luka would never, ever do. But Sass… She looked at the slippery kwami, and his yellow eyes glittered with mirth. A _snake_ was exactly what he was, cornering her like this. 

“I’m fine. And yeah, to answer your question, I know exactly what you’re talking about.” She looked at Sass again. “For the record, you’re a little asshole.”

“Such foul language,” Sass crooned. “I only mean to honor you.”

“Hey, uh, do you two…know each other?” Luka asked. 

“No,” Chloe said. “But clearly Pollen does.”

“Pollen?”

Chloe bit her lip. A wave of uncharacteristic anxiety swept through her in a full-body shudder. Being Queen Bee was a source of pride, especially after hearing Ladybug acknowledge her. She often fantasized about revealing her true identity to people just to see the looks on their faces. Queen Bee was a hero who had earned Paris’s love and respect. But this was…different. It was vulnerable, intimate, and she felt exposed under the weight of Luka’s honest but questioning gaze. What if he was disappointed? What if he saw her differently? This was hard, she realized. And she was kind of…afraid. 

Chloe took a deep breath. Courage was not the absence of fear, but the determination to keep going in spite of it. How could she expect Marinette to accept that if she didn’t first accept it herself? 

“My kwami,” Chloe said, mustering some confidence. “You can come out now, by the way.”

“Your—” 

“HI LUKA I’M POLLEN!” Pollen shouted exuberantly when she phased out of a flower and revealed herself. In a black and yellow blur, she collided with Luka’s chest, buzzing and burrowing in her attempt to hug him.

Luka gently peeled her off of him. “A bee? But wait, that’s…?” 

Chloe watched him slowly comprehend what she was telling him. She wrung her hands. “Yeah. I’m actually—”

“Queen Bee.” He looked at her with a measure of awe and incredulity. “For real?”

“Majessssty,” Sass said. “The sight of you after so long in slumber sets my soul aflame.”

Pollen sighed dramatically. “Sass. Flattery will get you nowhere with me.”

“We both know that’s _never_ been true.”

Luka took Chloe’s hands before she realized what he was doing. “I mean, I thought the coincidences were weird, but I was sure it was too good to be true.”

“Wait, what?” Chloe pulled her hands away. 

“Yeah, you know. Same confidence, same perfect hair, same penchant for puns, same—”

“ _Excuse_ you, I never pun.”

“Oooh, he’s right about your hair, though, Sweetness!” Pollen gushed. 

Luka laughed. “You realize you said the same thing before—as you _and_ as Queen Bee. That’s what got me thinking.”

“I did _not_.”

“I did, though...”

Chloe flushed. This was not how she’d envisioned this going at all after she worked up the courage to face this bizarre and slightly terrifying situation head on like the total boss she was. How could he be so nonchalant? Did he not understand what this meant for her? What it would now mean for him?

“You know, that’s what made me want to help you last night,” he went on. “Queen Bee reminded me a lot of you. She’s always been this amazing and beautiful hero, but then I got to talk to her—you—and it just kind of inspired me. You kind of inspire me.”

“I do?”

He smiled, and Chloe was dazzled. Had he always had such a pretty smile? And also, importantly, had he just called her beautiful?

“Yeah.” He smoothed her bangs with his fingertips, feather-light. “You really do.”

His fingers were cool on her temple. It was her turn to be in awe of him as speech eluded her entirely. She had never inspired anyone before. That was for the Ladybugs of the world, not for a girl like her. But the way Luka had looked at Queen Bee wounded but victorious in his arms, and the way he looked at Chloe now as his fingers ghosted her cheek, she craved it. And she wondered if maybe, just maybe, it could be true. 

“I’ve Chosen so perfectly with this one,” Sass congratulated himself. “He’s an artist after my own heart…and yourssssss.” He slithered around Pollen, but she was quick and flew out of reach before he could catch her. 

“As if!” Pollen said. “Luka is a gentleman, but you’re as lascivious as ever, Sass!”

Chloe snatched Sass out of the air and brought him to her eye level. “Okay, first of all, keep your hands—er, _tail_ to yourself,” she amended, considering Sass in fact had no hands. “I’ve had so few nice moments in my life lately and you almost ruined this one. So keep those fangs tucked away or I’m busting out the pliers and making earrings. You get me?”

Sass’s hood deflated and he looked at Chloe curiously. “If my queen commands it. I live to sssssserve.”

“I bet you’ll say the same thing to Tikki when you see her!” Pollen said.

“Never! You know I prefer stripes over spotsssss.”

Oh my god, the snake was a womanizer. Was that even possible? Did kwami have those kinds of feelings? Also, was it just her, or was Pollen kind of _jealous_ of Tikki?

“Okay, I’ll take that.” Luka gently took Sass back from Chloe. “Sorry for him.” Luka’s watch beeped, and he checked the time. “That’s my shift. I have to get back to work.”

“Not so fast,” Chloe said, grabbing his wrist. “Look, this is a lot to process. I don’t know if you’re just that chill or if Sass hasn’t explained shit to you, but being Chosen isn’t, like, some comic book superhero fantasy. What you saw last night, that’s the new normal, and I… I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have been dragged in without knowing what you were signing up for.”

“Respectfully, you underestimate us at your peril,” Sass said. “I meant what I said: I’ve Chosen well. Perhapsssssss…” he shot Pollen a knowing look, “you would honor me with some explanation, my queen.”

Chloe learned that day that bees, in fact, could blush. 

“Chloe, can we talk more later?” Luka asked. “I want to hear whatever you have to say about everything, and I don’t want you to think I’m not taking it seriously.”

“Uh, yeah, sure…”

He smiled. “For the record? If you’re upset the moment was ruined, I’ll make it up to you later.”

He left her temporarily speechless again, and Chloe shut the door behind him. Her heart was pounding and she was very warm, and for what? A cute boy’s smile? A little flirting? God, she needed to pull herself together. He wasn’t even her type! Her type was hot, devoted—no, _reverent_ —cultured, hot, deferential, brave, did she mention hot? 

_“You kind of inspire me.”_

Luka was kind of hot when he said it like that, all soft and vulnerable, his fingers in her hair—

“No!” Chloe marched across her room. “Hell no, Brain. Absolutely _not_.”

Pollen giggled. “Honey Bee, are you thinking about Luka? I thought that was really nice of him to say about how you inspired him!”

Pollen! Of course. What better way to deal with _whatever_ this was than to ignore it completely? “Hey, about that explanation. I think you better start talking. What’s up with you and Sass, anyway?”

Pollen’s antennae drooped. “W-Well, that’s a long story…”

“Then get started. I am _not_ going to let that snake catch me off guard ever again. We have an image to maintain, you know.”

“I know…”

“So?” 

Pollen twiddled her feet nervously. When she looked up at Chloe again, she was blushing. “Have you ever heard of Marc Antony and Cleopatra?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate to leave it there, but this chapter was getting quite long, sorry. Also, I know Sass has hands and feet in canon, but I like the idea of him being more like an actual snake. More about him and his powers next time!
> 
> For those who may not know, John André was a British spy during the American Revolution and basically the poster child for Snake Miraculous Chosen imo. I’ve been coming up with many different historical figures who I think could be interesting choices for past Miraculous Chosen, so expect a little more of that here and there! Marc Antony and Cleopatra as past Viperion and Queen Bee…yes.
> 
> Next time: A sleepover goes wrong, and then it goes worse. Somewhere in the middle there, Adrien and Marinette have a Conversation.


	11. The Girl You Know

Alya’s home was warm and cozy. Since the very first time Marinette had come over, she had loved how much of a home it truly was. Even with Nora away at university, the Césaire household was full and bright. Etta and Ella played dolls while Otis watched a football match with all the exuberance of a true hooligan even as he washed a mountain of dishes in the kitchen sink. Marlena sipped wine and danced around the kitchen with her iPod as she put away leftovers from the dinner she’d made for the family, delicious as always. Alya and Marinette retreated to the bedroom Alya used to share with Nora, and Marinette found herself laughing for the first time in what felt like years. 

“You’re totally making that up!” Marinette said through her giggles. 

“Am not! Girl, I saw it with my own four eyes!” Alya wiggled her glasses suggestively. “I’m telling you, it was a g-string— _with ties_.”

Marinette wiped her eyes. “But I just don’t get it! Why would Max _ever_ do that? Like, in a public place?”

Alya cackled. “Because he lost Kim’s bet! Oh my god, I can’t believe you missed it. Hold on.” She fished out her phone and scrolled through the pictures. “See? _See_??”

Marinette burst out laughing at the hazy shot of reserved, socially-awkward Max Kanté holding a bowling ball and wearing a bedazzled thong over his jeans. “When even was this?”

“The other day at the Bowl-O-Dome! You should’ve seen it—he was bowling in it for, like, _two hours_!”

They laughed until they were reduced to crying puddles on the floor. Marinette clutched her aching belly as the fit passed, and she lay next to Alya. 

“Wow,” she said, still smiling. “I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.”

“Yeah, I figured you could use a little pick-me-up.” Alya grinned deviously. “I got you, girl.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Please, _everyone_ deserves me, especially you.”

They laughed again, and Marinette was content to lie there next to her best friend. At length she said, “It sounds like you guys had fun at bowling. I wish I could’ve gone.”

“Yeah, why didn’t you?”

“Miss Bustier’s class project.”

_And two akuma attacks…_

“Seriously? You know Lila was at bowling for a while, right?”

Marinette groaned. “Don’t mention that name in my presence.”

Alya sat up on her elbows. “I’m really sorry you got stuck with her on the project. Talk about rotten luck.”

“On the bright side, she’s not really actively helping, so it’s mostly me and Chloe pulling the weight.”

Alya cringed. “Jesus, I forgot Her Royal Highness was your third. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be, it’s fine.”

“It’s _Chloe_.”

Marinette shrugged. She thought about her conversation with Chloe earlier that day after school and smiled a little. “I know, and I think I misjudged her.”

Alya made a show of cleaning her glasses. “I’m sorry, who are you again? Because I thought you were Marinette Dupain-Cheng, my super bestie and co-chair of the Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen club.”

Marinette smirked. “Well, consider my term in office expired.”

Alya sat against her bed. “I feel like I have whiplash.”

Marinette sat up and leaned against the opposite bed. “I’m serious. These past weeks…a lot’s happened.” _A hell of a lot_. “Chloe’s not a jerk. I mean, okay, she can be sometimes, I know. But I’m serious. She’s not the cartoonish mean girl she used to be. I think maybe it’s partly my own fault for not giving her a chance to show me sooner.”

Alya looked at her like she’d just seen an angel. “Damn, girl. That was really mature of you just now. I’m kind of crushing on you a little.”

Marinette laughed. “Well, I’m single, you know.”

“Hm, yeah, but we both know I’m not your type.”

“Alya, you are everyone’s type.”

“Hah, true, true… But for your particular taste, I’m seeing tall, blond, and oblivious.”

Marinette repressed a shiver, and not a pleasant one. “I don’t know…”

The doorbell rang, and Marinette heard muffled voices in the living room. 

“Your parents having people over?” Marinette asked. 

“Not that I know of.”

A knock on the bedroom door. Otis poked his head in. “Girls, you decent?”

Alya rolled her eyes hard. “Pro tip, Dad, you’re supposed to ask that _before_ you open the door.

Otis blinked. “I meant to do that.”

“It’s fine, Mr. Césaire,” Marinette said with an encouraging smile. 

“Well anyway, your friends are here.” His gaze darkened. “And this door better stay open _the whole time_. No exceptions.”

Before either of the girls could ask what he was talking about, he stepped aside for Nino and Adrien. 

“Heyyyy, look who it is, babe? Your favorite!” Nino pointed at himself with both thumbs and grinned wide. 

Alya squealed. “What are you guys doing here?! Ahh!” She leaped up and threw herself at Nino. 

Adrien did not escape her clutches, to his chagrin, and soon Alya had both their necks locked under her arms in a three-way hug. 

“Oh, ya know, just a couple of mail-order models here to brighten your day,” Nino said. 

“Remind me to tip the delivery boy.” Alya planted a wet kiss on Nino’s cheek.

Marinette did not share Alya’s enthusiasm as she locked eyes with Adrien and forgot how to breathe—again, not in the good way. There was no avoiding him this time. In her pink-checkered pajamas, she was here until morning. And something told her Adrien had planned it that way. 

“Hey, Marinette,” he said, a little shy, a little hesitant, a little hopeful. 

She bit her lip. Why did he have to look at her like that? “H-Hey, Adrien…”

“Mar! Look at you, all pretty in pink.” Nino barged in and sat down right next to her. “Man, I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Marinette quirked a smile. “You know I sit behind you, like, every day.”

He snapped his fingers. “Whaddaya know, I completely forgot!”

Nino always managed to make her laugh even when she wasn’t at her best, and tonight was no exception. 

Alya plopped down on her bed, and Adrien was left standing awkwardly alone in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. 

“Bro, don’t be a stranger,” Nino said, getting up and joining Alya on her bed. “Pop a squat.”

Adrien smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m good.”

It pained Marinette to watch him stand there like a kicked puppy. He caught her eye, and she was immediately struck with a pang of guilt. That puppy metaphor was a little too on point…

She remembered what Chloe had said to her that afternoon about how it was okay to be afraid and wondered. Maybe out of everyone, Courage’s Chosen would know what she was talking about. Sighing, Marinette swallowed her fear and put on a brave face. 

“Come on, there’s plenty of room,” she said, retreating to her bed opposite Alya’s. 

The way Adrien’s eyes went wide was adorable enough to drag a very small smile out of her. It was all the encouragement he needed. The bed sank under his added weight, and they sat knee to knee with their legs folded, barely close enough to touch. In the breast pocket of Marinette’s button-up pajama shirt, Tikki squirmed.

“Thanks, Marinette,” Adrien said softly. “Really.”

She bit her tongue and nodded, not trusting her voice. 

“Okay, so as nice as this surprise is,” Alya said, “I wish you would’ve given me a heads up so I could’ve smuggled in some choice libations before my parents got home from work.” She had her legs draped across Nino’s lap as he massaged her calves.

“On a school night? Tsk tsk, Miss Césaire,” Nino teased. “Such talk will corrupt our son.”

“I mean, you know I turned eighteen, right? You were there,” Adrien said. 

“Pish posh!” Alya said in a terrible British accent. “Don’t talk back to your father, young man.”

“That’s right, defend my honor!” Nino said. “It’s so hard having a hot, fit son with a heart of gold. Woe is me.”

“Maybe it’s time to consider emancipation,” Marinette joked. 

Adrien looked at her in surprise, like he hadn’t expected her to join in. “Branch out on my own?”

Marinette shrugged. “You can’t be a freeloader all your life.”

He cracked a smile.

“Outrageous! I do decry! Adrien shall remain our son forever!” Alya cried. 

Nino burst out laughing. “Dude, where did that accent even come from? It’s kinda hot.”

“Oh my god, please stop,” Adrien said. He looked like he was having trouble not laughing. “I thought we came here to dote?”

“What’s this now?” Alya said. 

Nino lit up. “Oh yeah! No alc, sorry babe, but I got the next best thing for my favorite girls.” He rifled through his backpack and pulled out a zippered mesh bag. 

“Is that what I think it is?” Marinette asked. 

“It _is_ ,” Alya said, her smile grown devious. “Rich people juice.”

“I wasn’t sure about the brand, but it’s the one my mom always used, so…” Adrien said. 

“And _I_ had the idea, obvs,” Nino said. “Ladies love facials, amirite?”

“You’re so right,” Marinette said. She could feel her mouth starting to water. 

“You like this stuff?” Adrien asked her. 

“ _Everyone_ likes this stuff,” Alya said. “You’ll see.”

“I will?”

Nino laughed. “Facial party?”

“I call sink first!” Marinette said, bolting out of bed. 

Alya was already at the door. “My parents have a His and Hers set up!”

“H-Hey, wait up!” Adrien grabbed the facial products and followed behind Nino.

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, Marinette’s face was tingling under a green mask and she was feeling refreshed and relaxed while Alya snapped a hundred pictures of Adrien and Nino in masks of their own. Alya complained that Adrien’s bangs were too long, so he tied them up in a silly ponytail. 

“Adrien Agreste, where did you learn to do that?” Alya said. 

He shrugged like it was no big deal. “Anime. Guys do it all the time.”

She wiped a fake tear and put her hand on his shoulder. “You stay golden, my son.”

Nino was lounging on Alya’s bed sipping water through a bendy straw with slices of strawberry over his eyes because apparently, there were no cucumbers in the fridge. 

“I’m pretty sure the cucumbers don’t do anything, anyway,” Marinette said. 

“Then there you go. My way’s way better,” Nino said. 

When all four of them were masked up, Alya had her mom take even more pictures. Etta and Ella wanted to try the masks, too. 

“Maybe tomorrow, my little Sapotis,” Otis said. “It’s past your bedtime.”

“But we’re not tired!” Etta and Ella said in unison. 

“You’re father’s right, it’s very late for you to be up. To bed with you both now, okay?” Marlena said. 

Etta and Ella complained, but Alya swooped in and picked up Etta. “I have a great idea! How about me and Nino tuck you in, huh?”

Ella squealed. “Yeah, yeah!”

“Nino, read me a story!” Etta demanded. 

“Ah, I’m in such high demand these days,” Nino said. 

Marinette and the others washed up, and she and Adrien retreated to Alya’s room while Alya and Nino went to put the girls to bed. Marinette could hear their high-pitched voices even through the walls as they laughed at whatever Alya and Nino were doing to entertain them. 

“I heard they’re not sleeping well,” Adrien said from the foot of Marinette’s bed. 

Marinette hugged her pillow. “Yeah, Alya said it’s been hell. I guess I’ll find out tonight.”

“Well…maybe next time you can invite her to your place. Maybe get a good night’s sleep?”

“Yeah, I should. I guess there’s just been no time…”

“Yeah…”

They lapsed into an awkward silence. Marinette felt his eyes on her. She bit her lip. 

“Listen, Marinette,” he started. 

Oh god, here it was. The conversation she knew she couldn’t run from anymore but still wasn’t ready to have. It was so easy when Alya and Nino were around, but now that they were alone, what was she supposed to say? Who was she supposed to be? Did he want Marinette or Ladybug? She bit her lip harder. 

“I just wanted to say…green’s a good color on you.”

It took her a moment to understand he was talking about the face masks they’d taken about eighty pictures in. She blushed. “Oh, um, well it’s a good color on you, too.”

“Eh, the kid’s all right. _I’m_ the one who rocks the green around here.” Plagg materialized from Adrien’s shirt looking smarmy. 

“I think green is very flattering on Adrien,” said Tikki, poking her head out of Marinette’s pocket. 

Before Marinette knew what was happening, she found herself eye to eye with Plagg, god of Destruction. “Um…”

“You humans and your… _emotions_ ,” Plagg said. “Hey, give him a chance to run his mouth for once. Consider it a personal favor…please.”

Marinette was so stunned that she wasn’t sure how to reply to that. A literal god was asking her for a solid. Tikki had asked for things plenty of times in the past, but comparing Tikki to Plagg was like comparing day to night. There was something appropriately awe-inspiring about Plagg, like he was far greater than what he appeared. Very rarely Marinette would get a similar glimpse into Tikki, but with Plagg he seemed to ooze it from every follicle, like he wanted to be seen for what he really was. She swallowed. 

“Come on, Plagg.” Tikki took his paw and led him away to a quiet corner of the room. “Let’s give them some privacy.”

When they were gone, Adrien rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry about him. He’s completely untrainable.”

Marinette wasn’t so sure. “I think he was just looking out for you in his own way.”

There was a pause while neither of them was sure how to proceed. Adrien seemed to work up some courage and set his jaw. “I know this is uncomfortable for you. It is for me, too. I didn’t plan to ambush you tonight, but it just seemed like a good opportunity, and with everything happening so fast, I was afraid to let things—”

“Adrien.”

He blinked. “Uh, yeah?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t take you seriously with that anime ponytail.”

Adrien flushed a fantastic fire engine red and yanked the hair tie out of his bangs with an almost supernatural speed. He mussed up his bangs self-consciously. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Marinette took pity on him. “It’s okay, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Here—”

He stilled as she ran her fingers through his bangs. She hadn’t meant anything by it, but as soon as she was done she realized what she’d done and pulled away. Staring back at her with that achingly familiar wide-eyed bewilderment and mussed blond hair was Chat Noir, unmasked. 

Truly, she felt like an idiot. It was so obvious looking at him now. 

“Marinette?” There was an edge of concern in his question. 

She shook her head. “It really is you.”

A longing she recognized as easily as her own reflection stared back at her through the kind, oblivious green of Adrien Agreste. “My lady.”

Marinette was overcome then with the urge to weep. She covered her mouth to stifle herself, and Adrien was there. He took her in his arms and surrounded her completely. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against her hair. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

Was it so easy just to apologize? God, she wanted it to be. She wanted desperately for them to be okay. She had not realized how much she wanted that until this moment when she had him in her arms, so close, so soft, so _safe_. “I’m sorry, too.”

His arms tightened around her like he was afraid she might not be real. 

“I’m sorry for running,” she said, shuddering. “I just—I was so afraid, and—”

“I know.” His fingers twisted her loose hair and pulled her closer. “I know I scared you.”

Marinette pulled back. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

Adrien wouldn’t look at her. “I know what they’re saying about me. I can’t blame them.”

Marinette hesitated. “I know she was already dead.”

“But it bothers you.”

“I doesn’t bother you?”

“It was that or let Gallina die. I couldn’t do that.”

Marinette touched his cheek. His eyes watered with unshed tears. “ _Chaton_ …”

Adrien’s breath hitched, and his tears fell. “Please, I can’t live like this. I can’t go on knowing you don’t trust me.”

Marinette’s throat clenched. She blinked past her own welling tears. “Of course I trust you.”

“Do you?”

His question, so raw and vulnerable, physically hurt her heart. She steeled her gaze and planted her hands on his shoulders. “Yes. I trust you with everything. And I’m so sorry that I ever made you doubt that for even a second.”

Shy fingers touched her temples and caught her tears. No one had ever looked at her like Adrien was looking at her now, like she was someone worth keeping. “You did make me doubt it, to be honest. But I didn’t really give you a choice in the matter. I shouldn’t have revealed myself like that without your consent. I really regret that.”

Marinette had to fight not to lean in to his touch. “Thank you for saying that.”

“Thank you for letting me.” He took a deep breath and wiped his cheek. “Man, I’ve been both dreading and wishing for this conversation for a long time.”

“I know you have. I’m… I shouldn’t have put it off for this long. It wasn’t fair to you. You’re my partner; you deserve better than that from me.”

He smiled sadly. “Thank you.”

Marinette sniffled and wiped her eyes. She laughed self-deprecatingly. “Wow, it’s crazy.”

“What is?”

“Just… Chloe said it would be easy to talk to you, and in a way she was right. Like, why didn’t we do this sooner? I mean, I know why, but _why_?”

“Because we’re stupid teenagers?”

“ _Really_ stupid.”

They shared a tentative smile.

“So, you talked to Chloe?” Adrien asked.

“I gave her my number.”

His tear-puffy eyes glittered with mirth. “Sounds serious.”

“Oh, very. She doesn’t half-ass things, you know.”

“I do know.”

Marinette bit her lip. “Can I say something?”

“Of course, anything.” He took her hands in his, and Marinette’s stomach fluttered. 

“This is nice. Talking to you, I mean.” She held his gaze. “I think…there’s a part of me that doesn’t regret you revealing yourself the way you did. I might even wish it had happened sooner.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know…maybe? It’s weird, I guess. I know a part of you better than anyone, but at the same time, the rest of you is…”

He waited for her to finish, but when it became clear that she wouldn’t, he frowned. “The rest of me is what?”

“Oh, um, I just meant… This is still new, like, Ladybug knows Chat Noir, but Marinette doesn’t really know Adrien? And that’s hard for me to reconcile, I guess.”

“But _I’m_ Chat Noir. You do know me.” He squeezed her hands in his. “You’ve always known me. And I’ve always known you.”

“No,” Marinette blurted out. 

“No?”

“I-I mean, it’s not that simple.”

“How is it not that simple? You wear a mask, but it’s still you underneath. It’s still me.”

“But it’s not. I mean, not entirely.”

Adrien shook his head and trailed his hands up her arms. “Don’t do this, please. Don’t make it more complicated than it is.”

“But it _is_ complicated.”

“It’s not. It’s just you and me.”

“No, it’s not that black and white. I’m Marinette and I’m Ladybug, but they’re not the same person to you.”

Adrien looked like he wanted to argue, but he held his tongue. “Is that what’s been bothering you all this time? You think people will see you differently? That… That I’ll see you differently?”

Marinette searched his eyes. Even now, he didn’t see what was right in front of him. “You’ve always seen me differently. Ladybug is this amazing hero to you. But me, I’m…”

“Marinette—”

“Who am I to you?”

He watched her, puzzled and a little sad. He didn’t know how to answer her question, as Marinette knew he wouldn’t. How could he? Chat Noir and Ladybug were thick as thieves, but Adrien and Marinette were little more than friendly acquaintances. Until recently, she couldn’t even speak plainly in front of him. How could she expect him or anyone else to reconcile Marinette’s teenage mediocrity with Ladybug’s larger-than-life presence? 

He released her, and Marinette wrung her cold fingers. Before he could come up with a proper response, Plagg hissed. 

“Here?!” Tikki gasped. 

The kwamis were a black and red blur zipping around the room. Marinette and Adrien got to their feet. 

“Plagg? What’s the matter?” Adrien demanded. 

A heavy crash. Someone screamed. It sounded like Marlena. 

Marinette felt the blood freeze in her veins when she met Adrien’s gaze. “No…”

“‘Fraid so, kiddos,” Plagg spat. 

The door burst open, and Alya and Nino came barreling in. 

“Marinette!” Alya shouted. 

There was a tense pause as she and Nino saw Tikki and Plagg hovering there, impossibly. But the moment ended when a fist broke through the bedroom window and took out the wall with it. One minute, Marinette was just standing there wondering how the hell she had managed to be outed _yet again_ , and the next she was on the floor with a mouthful of Alya’s hair and Nino’s shirt twisted in her fist as Adrien shielded them all from whatever the living shit that _thing_ was. 

“Oh, crap!” Adrien said.

Marinette scrambled and dragged Alya’s hair with her. The fist was attached a tall, emaciated man with legs two stories tall all clad in tattered black, save for his bone-white face. Sallow skin stretched taut over a wide, flat face and dislocated jaw. His arms were far too long for his torso, and his fingers tapered with too many joints. 

“F-Fucking Slenderman?!” Nino sputtered. “Are you kidding me?!”

“No, that’s Mètminwi,” Alya gasped. “It’s like the Bogeyman!”

“Etta…” the creature groaned. “Ellaaaaaaa!!”

“Lucky Charm!” Tikki screamed. She launched herself at the nightmare fearlessly, kicking up a trail of explosive starlight in her wake that rose with her. 

The nightmare akuma tried to pull away, but the stars Tikki summoned swelled and converged with deadly force. The explosion was blinding bright, and the creature wailed loud enough to wake the dead. It fell back from the apartment’s window—for now. 

“What the hell are you two idiots gawking at?!” Plagg snarled. “Hurry up and transform before that thing comes back!”

Marinette didn’t need to be told twice. She reached for Tikki as the little kwami recovered from her sudden attack. “I need some sugar!”

“Go, do what you need to do,” Adrien said, getting to his feet and reaching for Plagg. “I’ll hold it off. Claws out!”

Right there in front of Alya and Nino, Adrien transformed into Chat Noir and quickly leaped out of the hole in the wall to chase the nightmare akuma. Marinette bolted for the kitchen. 

“Did you see that?” Nino said. “Did _I_ just see that?!”

_No time, no time!_

Marinette couldn’t worry about her friends or her secret right now. Chat Noir needed her help, and so did Etta and Ella. She dashed to the kitchen with Tikki cradled in her hands and threw open the cabinets in search of anything sweet. 

“Here,” Alya said. She held a box of chocolate chip cookies. “Will these work?”

Marinette met her best friend’s gaze as she clutched Tikki to her chest. There was so much, too much, and no time at all. Blinking back her tears, she nodded. “Yeah, that’s perfect. Come on, Tikki, try to eat.”

“Thank you…” Tikki dutifully crammed cookies into her mouth as fast as she could. 

“Marinette,” Alya said. 

“I’m sorry, Alya. I just can’t right now.”

Alya grabbed her wrist, her gaze hard and her jaw set. “Save my sisters.”

So much to say, and no need for words. Marinette had never felt more powerful than she did right now the way Alya was looking at her. She closed her hand over Alya’s and nodded stiffly. “I will.”

“I’m ready, Marinette,” Tikki said. “Let’s hurry!”

“Okay. Tikki, Spots on!”

She transformed in a bright flash of crimson just as Nino came staggering out of the bedroom. Yo-yo spinning, Ladybug confidently took off past her friends and jumped into the night to help Chat Noir.

Alya ran after her to the edge of the gaping hole in her home. “I fucking _knew_ it!” 

Nino yanked her back from the edge before she could slip and fall to her death. “Babe, you literally did _not._ ”

“You kick that nightmare’s ass, Ladybug!” Alya screamed.

* * *

 

“So let me get this straight,” Luka said calmly so as not to set off the ticking time bomb that was Chloe Bourgeois’ patience. “In our past lives, we had a sweeping romance so epic it changed the course of one of the greatest empires in history?”

“Yes,” said Pollen, appropriately abashed. 

“Yesssssss,” said Sass, smugly sassy. 

“ _No_ , Jesus fuck,” said Chloe. “First of all, there are no past lives. I wasn’t Cleopatra and you weren’t Marc Antony. That’s utterly ridiculous, obviously.”

Luka did his very best not to crack a smile as he humored her. “Obviously.”

“ _Obviously_. And second of all, that was all these two.” She pointed aggressively at Sass and Pollen. “So, like, even if there _was_ such a thing as past lives or whatever, _which there obviously isn’t_ , it would’ve had nothing to do with us anyway.”

“Pollen, your new Chosen may be beautiful, but she has no sense for sssssensuality,” Sass said. 

“I’m about to sensuously snap you in half if you don’t dial it back on the innuendos,” Chloe snapped. 

“Watch your tongue, Sass!” Pollen said. “My honey bee could be plenty sensual if she wanted!”

“Pollen!” Chloe screeched.

Luka sensed the need to de-escalate before things got out of hand. “So what I’m getting from all this is that you two have a good working relationship, right? And that will help me work with Queen Bee now.”

“A _very_ good relationship,” Sass crooned. His forked tongue flickered teasingly at Pollen. 

Pollen turned up her nose. “That _depends_.” 

“Chloe?” Luka prompted. 

She crossed her arms and stared at her bedside lamp like she was having a conversation with it instead of with Luka. “Yeah, fine, whatever.”

Luka rubbed his neck. He felt a little bit bad dropping all this on her. “Hey, for what it’s worth? I’m glad I get to work with you. There’s no one I’d rather rely on to help me out with all this.”

Chloe blushed. “Yeah, well…good. I’m kind of a pro at this by now.”

“Consider me eager to learn, _sensei_.”

“Then we should get started.”

“What, now?”

“Yeah. You have other plans or something?”

_Does sleeping count?_

He had to be up at 4 a.m. for tomorrow’s shift, but somehow he didn’t think Chloe would sympathize with that. Resigning himself to yet another long night, he shook his head. “No, I’m all yours.”

“Damn right you are.”

Luka smiled. He wondered if she heard herself, but given past experience, he knew she didn’t. 

“First things first. You—what even are your powers?”

Sass sidled up to Chloe, his yellow eyes glittering with delight. “Eager, aren’t we? Patienccccccce is a virtue.”

“Not right now, it’s not.”

Sass wheezed with laughter. “Very well, I’ll indulge you, Human…” He slithered around Chloe’s wrist and held fast. “I am Time, and my power is Suggestion. I seek a patient heart to weather storms and strike from the shadows when the time is right.”

“So you play the long game. What can you do in a fight?”

“I can keep you alive.”

Chloe’s eyes met Luka’s. “Then you’ll have your work cut out for you with the way things are going lately.”

Luka reached for her hand. “Hey, I’m here to help you no matter how hard it gets. We both are.”

Sass slithered up Luka’s arm and around his neck. “Sssssteady and calm… These traits will serve you well as Viperion.”

“What?”

“Your Miraculous name,” Pollen said. “Sass and I always keep ours the same.”

“Viperion,” Luka repeated. “I like it. Sounds kind of badass.”

“Let’s just hope your powers are badass,” Chloe said.

“So are we gonna do this?” Pollen said. She buzzed excitedly. “Come on, come on! I want to meet Luka’s Viperion!”

Sass advised Luka on a few magic words that would trigger the transformation and unlock an ultimate power unique to him. 

“So, I just say the words and that’s it?” Luka asked. Somehow, it seemed too simple for a magic literally as old as Time. “Don’t you have any other advice or guidance for me?”

Sass flicked his forked tongue. “The rest will come to you in time. Trusssssssst in yourself.”

_Seems too good to be true._

“Just follow my lead for now,” Chloe said. She straightened to her full height, head held high, and reached for Pollen. “Pollen, Buzz on!”

Luka knew it was coming, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Chloe transforming into Queen Bee right in front of him. He could _feel_ the magic bloom and burst around her. The golden light that surrounded her now clung to her in the form of her super suit, and he was left in awe at the sight of her. 

“Wow…”

Queen Bee smirked and cocked her hip. “I get that a lot.”

Luka swallowed hard. _Yeah, I bet you do._

“Shall we?” Sass said. 

“Yeah. Right.” Luka tried not to stare at Queen Bee’s fingers tapping her hip. “Sass, Fangs out.”

Sass’s wheezing laughter echoed as he merged with the Miraculous Bangle, and the ouroboros carving blazed blue with power. Luka gasped, overwhelmed by light and cold, and he changed. Scaled armor covered him completely in black and blue, and a domino mask hid his face. In his hands he held a lyre whose arms were carved in the shape of two hooded cobras entwined at the tails.

Viperion looked himself over. “Whoa. I feel…”

“Invincible?” Queen Bee said. Her blue eyes were dark and unfocused as they looked him over. 

“Immortal.” Luka made a fist, and it felt _good_. Powerful. Like nothing that ever was or ever will be could outlast him. “Do you always feel this good?”

She sauntered—sauntered!—to his side and ran a striped finger down his chest. “Only when I have an audience.”

She had to hear herself, surely. No one could look like that, touch him like that, without intention. Viperion caught her wrist in his immortal fingers and kept her close. “You have my undivided attention, my queen.”

Her lips parted and her eyes relaxed in the most alluring come hither way he’d ever seen, and _fuck_ he’d never wanted to kiss someone as badly as he wanted to kiss her right now. His entire body hummed to be near her, as if with a mind of its own. The human, rational part of him wondered if those were Sass’s feelings, too. And if they were, and if even the magic was conspiring against his sanity, he was going to have a very hard time keeping his wits around her. 

But…why fight it?

His fingers tightened around her wrist, but she didn’t pull away. So close, and she smelled like honey and sunshine and something else that called to a version of himself that was so tired of waiting while the world went on without him. It was her, he realized. Her magic, her courage and Pollen’s, drawn to him as much as he was drawn to her. 

A low buzzing caught them both off guard mere centimeters apart. The strange spell broken, they parted with a curse—hers, not his. 

“That’s my phone,” Queen Bee said, tossing around the pillows on her bed to find it. 

“Let it ring.” 

She stilled. He’d come up behind her, silent as a wraith. For reasons unknown, he thought it would be a good idea to…smell her hair. Little flyaways at the base of her neck tickled his nose when he nudged her. His fingers brushed the small of her back. She shivered.

“Luka,” she whispered, caught between of dread and desire. 

Hearing his human name snapped him out of…whatever was happening. Flustered, he backed away and gave her some space. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me…”

She wasn’t looking at him, but at her phone.

“Shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Why would he be calling _me_?”

Viperion didn’t know who ‘he’ was, but he decided to wait for her to explain things. She answered the phone. 

“Hello?”

A pause. She tensed. 

“Oh my god… O-Okay, I heard you the first time! I’ll be right there.”

“Bee, what’s going on?”

She cast him a fierce glare, teeth bared. “You picked a hell of a night to join the team. That was the Guardian calling from the hospital. It’s under siege, like, as we speak.”

Viperion blanched. It was already happening, and so soon. Wasn’t the last akuma attack only yesterday?

Fear’s cold fingers slipped around his neck and threatened to squeeze. He wasn’t ready to fight like Queen Bee did, but from the sound of it, he would have no choice. 

“How many?” he asked, clutching his lyre in a vice grip. 

“How are your multiplication tables?”

Oh.

_Shit._

* * *

 

The hospital was a war zone by the time Queen Bee and Viperion arrived. Windows were shattered, an ambulance was on fire, and people ran in terror from something stalking them in the darkness. 

“Look out!” Queen Bee tackled Viperion and rolled them both out of the way of a blast of lightning that exploded from the Emergency Room loading dock. Patients in hospital gowns and staff in their scrubs stumbled, some blinded by darkness. And somewhere deep within the sterile halls, a sinister voice cackled. 

“Electrolyte?” Viperion asked. “How?”

_But I stopped that akuma._

Or so Queen Bee thought. How was it back? How were any of them back? How was Hawk Moth even accomplishing any of this? 

“They how’s and why’s don’t matter right now. We need to save Master Fu and as many innocent people as we can. I hope you’re ready to skip the basics.”

Viperion’s eyes were wide, his shoulders tense. Queen Bee felt bad, but there was nothing she could do about the shitty situation they found themselves in. She bit her lip.

“Look, Viperion, you don’t have to—”

“Yeah, I do. I told you I would help you.” He plucked a string on his lyre, and she shivered. She felt the note resonate deep in her chest, as though from within. “And I’m a quick study.”

Queen Bee would never admit it in front of him, but she was relieved he was here with her. Whatever nightmare awaited them, at least they would face it together. 

“Okay,” she said. “Then follow my lead.”

Together, they bolted from the main entrance, careful to avoid escaping patients and hospital staff alike. Some shouted at them, begging for help, but Queen Bee darted past them. 

“Get out of the way!” she said. “It’s not safe here!”

The blind clogged the halls and groped the walls in their fruitless attempts to get outside, crying ashes and wailing their fear. It pained Queen Bee to leave them alone, but there was no helping them unless they defeated the nightmare akuma afflicting them. 

“Someone help me!”

“I-I can’t see anything!”

“Marc! Where are you, Marc!”

“Goddamnit, there’s so many of them!” Queen Bee said as she and Viperion were forced to slow their gait just to get around them. 

“Wait, I think I can help,” Viperion said. He began to pluck at his lyre, a simple yet soothing melody. 

Queen Bee was about to tell him to cut it out, they didn’t have time for a concert, but when the bodies began to part for them, she was stunned. “How are you doing that?”

As though entranced, the people pressed against the walls and began shuffling toward the exit in some semblance of order. 

“Does it matter? Let’s keep going,” he said. 

Queen Bee didn’t need any further encouragement, and she took off down the hall in the direction of a menacing cackle. Something crashed and squelched. A woman screamed. Queen Bee clutched her top, her heart pounding. 

They rounded a corner, and while Viperion continued to play, the people in the halls grew less responsive the closer they got to the commotion. Queen Bee leaped over stumbling bodies, bloody bodies, still bodies. The stench of ozone burned her nose. 

“Vaaaaalentiiiiiin!” sang the killer clown as it lifted its cartoonish mallet. 

Viperion was so shocked at the internecine in the hall ahead that he stopped playing and flinched back. Blood spatter and human entrails smashed under the killer clown’s mallet painted the walls in angry, red streaks. The clown was gearing up to break down a door. 

“Hey, Mister J!” 

The clown craned its white-painted neck at Queen Bee’s taunt just in time to catch her super-sized spinning top at point-blank range. Its mallet went flying, and its body crunched and crashed through the observer window of the pediatric wing’s lobby. Queen Bee reeled in her top with a sneer. 

“Creepy motherfucker,” she spat. 

Viperion stared openly, but he had no words. 

“Queen Bee? Is that you?” called a muffled voice from behind the door the clown had been trying to break down. 

“Master Fu! Open up, the clown’s gone!”

The old Guardian had holed up in a children’s play room along with two pediatrics nurses in pink uniforms, the three re-akumatized children passed out on stretchers, and a small army of normal children huddled together in their shared fear. 

“Thank god you’re here,” Fu said. His shirt was stained with blood, but a quick look over him told her it wasn’t his. “When the akumas appeared, I barricaded the children in here.”

She nodded grimly. “Smart. The nightmares will come after them like last time. We need Ladybug to pull the akumas out. It’s the only way to defeat the nightmares for good.”

“Yes, I tried contacting her, but I haven’t been able to reach her or Chat Noir.”

“Queen Bee?” asked a little girl with fresh tear tracks on her plump cheeks. “A-Are you gonna s-save us?”

Queen Bee’s heart wrenched at the sight of her and all the other scared kids. What kind of heartless sociopath targeted children, anyway? If she ever met Hawk Moth face to face, she was going to rip his face clean off for this. 

_Fucking coward preying on the weak._

“That’s the plan,” she said.

“Who’re you?” asked a young boy who had snuck around Queen Bee and looked up at Viperion. “Where’s Ladybug?”

“Is Ladybug coming?”

“Of course she’s coming! She always comes!”

The kids began to squabble and the two nurses tried in vain to get them to calm down. Fu brought his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle that silenced them all. 

“Please, children, I’m sure Ladybug will be here soon. For now, you will all be safe with Queen Bee and…”

“Viperion,” Queen Bee said. “He’s my…”

“Partner.” Viperion took a knee so he could look the curious little boy in his wide, brown eyes. “I know you want to see Ladybug, but do you want to know a secret?”

The little boy nodded.

“Queen Bee is the bravest person I know. She’s going to get you and all your friends out of here.”

“B-But the monsters…”

Viperion plucked a few soft notes on his lyre and smiled. “The monsters can’t get you. She won’t let them, I promise.”

All the children in the room fixated on Viperion, their sobs and whispers hushed. Even Queen Bee felt the calming effects of his music. Her fears and insecurities seemed suddenly so small and trivial. 

“The power of Suggestion,” Fu said ponderously. “Incredible…”

Outside, the sounds of mayhem were growing louder. If they were going to get these kids out of here, they would need to go now. 

“How are we going to do this?” one of the nurses asked. She was looking to Queen Bee for an answer. They all were. 

Planning and leading were Ladybug’s wheelhouse, but with Ladybug absent, there was no one to take charge against the literal nightmares prowling the halls. Queen Bee took a moment to consider her situation. She could save them all.

But if she made the wrong decision, they would all die. Their blood would be on her hands. 

Deep in the depths of her subconscious, she could feel Pollen’s courage swell and rise. 

_Even heroes can be afraid._

That was why they wore masks—not to hide their identities, but to hide their fear. All the better to shoulder everyone else’s. 

“Okay,” Queen Bee said, thinking. “Here’s what’s going to happen.”

She had the children pair off and hold hands. She and Viperion would lead the group while Fu and the two nurses brought up the rear with the stretchers holding the three akumatized children. 

“Whatever happens, you hold on to your buddy’s hand, got it?” Queen Bee said. “Don’t let go no matter what.” To Viperion she said, “And don’t stop playing. If one of those kids spooks, they’ll all spook.”

_And we’re all dead._

Viperion nodded. Her words unsaid rang loud and clear. “You got it.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

They marched to a lilting lullaby back the way Queen Bee and Viperion had come from. Queen Bee tuned the music out, more concerned with the dangers lurking. There was no sign of the killer clown or its mallet. 

Fear prickled the hairs on the back of her neck. 

_Where did it go?_

Some of the children whimpered at the sight and stench of blood and excrement the clown had left behind. Their shoes squeaked on the slippery, red tiles. Better the trauma of seeing death than to experience it first-hand. Queen Bee tried not to think about it. 

The bodies in their path drew a more vocal reaction from the children. The two nurses tried to reassure them as they stepped over still corpses. Viperion began to hum along to the music, and in the back of her mind, Queen Bee could almost hear his gentle voice whispering, ‘It’s going to be all right.’

But she could also hear Pollen’s buzzing keeping her alert and on edge. And she knew—the only way it would be all right was if she made it all right. 

They turned a corner. 

The lights at the far end of the corridor popped and fizzled out. 

“Stop,” Queen Bee commanded. 

The gaggle stopped, and their whimpers grew. 

One by one, three by three, the lights popped and died as the specter of darkness flew down the hall to greet them. Queen Bee drew her top. 

Footsteps. 

“Who’s there?”

_Running._

A little boy screamed, and Queen Bee’s top went flying. A man in a paper hospital gown caught the magical top and crashed to the floor in a heap. Queen Bee balked as she realized she’d hit a person—

“Bee!!” Viperion shouted. 

Another man, this one in an orderly’s scrubs, crawled— _crawled_ —along the wall on all fours and closed in fast. Queen Bee got a split second’s look at his limp, dislocated jaw and shadowed face before he met the business end of her top and fell through the new car-sized hole in the wall. Light poured in from the adjoining room through the hole. 

“Oh god!” one of the nurses screamed. 

Eyes caught the light in the darkness. So many of them. 

“Marcella…” a disembodied voice crooned farther off. 

“Go. _Go_!” Queen Bee shoved the kids through the hole in the wall. 

She threw her top once more just as a woman in ripped scrubs dropped from the ceiling and shrieked. Her blackened sclera drank the shadows and pumped them through the engorged veins on her face, down her neck. Queen Bee feinted and shoved her hard on the ground by the shoulder just as her top crashed into the opposite wall. She looked up to find Fu staring back in disbelief. “Go, goddamnit!”

* * *

 

Viperion led the group in the only direction that made sense: away from the things lurking in the dark. He barely had time to think—what _were_ they? Human, perhaps once, but now… The sounds of Queen Bee fighting them off to give the group a chance chilled his blood. His fingers cramped as they played, but he knew he couldn’t stop if he had any hope of keeping the group together and moving. He wouldn’t waste the chance she had given them.

The hall lights flickered ominously, but he pressed on and ignored the signs of death. A bloody handprint gripped the corner just ahead, and he paused. 

_What am I doing?_

He had no idea, honestly. All he knew was that Queen Bee was the only thing standing between all these innocent kids and the evil stalking them. 

A cooling sensation blossomed slow and soft in his chest, and for a strange moment, he felt like he wasn’t alone in his skin. 

“Patience,” he whispered without a thought. 

_Sass…is that you?_

There was no answer. The kwami lived within him now, and he had no one to ask for guidance or help. No one but himself. 

“Viperion,” Fu said quietly. His face was calm, but his knuckles were white as they held on to Valentin’s stretcher. 

“Just a minute.” Viperion plucked a note and held it as he cautiously peered around the defaced corner. 

The killer clown was down the hall hunched over a struggling man. Viperion could only watch as it opened its mouth impossibly wide and breathed a thick, black gas in the man’s face. He convulsed and let out a strangled death rattle before the clown released him. 

And then, he rose. 

Viperion bit his tongue so hard he tasted blood. He carefully crept back toward the group and tried to put on a strong face for the kids. But all he could see were the man’s black sclera, the swollen veins in his face like so many burrowing worms. 

Possessed. 

_Haunted…_

Fu watched him with an unreadable look in his ancient eyes. “We cannot go back.”

No, they couldn’t. And from the sounds of it, Queen Bee was still busy with the horde of Haunted. 

_What the hell am I doing here?_

“Whatever you are thinking right now, put it out of your mind,” Fu said. “You are Chosen.”

Viperion did not know this man, this Guardian that Queen Bee had hastily told him about as they sprinted across the city to get here. All she’d said was that he was old, he was wise, and he was someone who knew more about the Miraculous than anyone. He could be trusted. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Do what you can. What you _must_.”

Shuffling. 

A low, chilling chuckle. 

Viperion ceased his playing and faced the corner. 

_Do what I can._

Some of the children began to sob. 

“Valentin…”

Closer. 

_Do what I must._

He thought of Queen Bee, fearless and strong and extraordinarily brave, and he held on to her memory as he rounded the corner and faced the evil beyond. 

“Hypnosis,” he said, and brought his fingers to the lyre once more. 

Music, thick and heavy, slipped from his fingers and filled the hall like a living, writhing mass. The threnody slithered down the hall, in and around the killer clown and the ones it had Haunted—so many. Their limp jaws, their shadowed eyes, all turned upon Viperion. 

“Valentin!” the killer clown shrieked. It heaved its mallet over its shoulder and pounded down the hall toward Viperion. 

It never reached him. Compelled by the dirge, the Haunted turned on the clown and threw themselves at it. The clown swung at them with its mallet, but where two were swatted and smashed like flies, four more scuttled from the shadows and clung to the clown. 

Viperion took a step forward. 

The Haunted yanked the killer clown a step back. 

“Valentin!!!” The clown bared its yellowed fangs. 

“This way,” Viperion called to the group. 

He strummed his lyre more forcefully, sending more coils of asphyxiating magic down the hall ahead. The Haunted parted, clearing a path, and they dragged the killer clown with them. 

Crying, shaking, afraid—the children clasped each other’ hands tightly and followed.

* * *

 

“Cataclysm!”

The Bogeyman groaned and tore at its own neck, where Chat Noir had dug his claws in. Its two-story legs quaked, each smashing step Earth-rattling as it swayed right into the side of the apartment building across the street. 

Ladybug, with Etta and Ella each under one arm, raced over the rubble that had once been the north side of Alya’s apartment complex and set them down gently. 

“Hurry!” Chat shouted, surrounded in smoking, black mist. “My Cataclysm’s wearing off!”

Ladybug cracked open her yo-yo and dipped a magic-molten hand into Ella’s chest as quickly as she could. The akuma’s darkness disintegrated in her fingers, and she yanked out one white butterfly. 

“I just need another minute!” 

Ladybug dipped her glowing fingers into Etta’s chest and felt for the akuma cocooned within, but the moment she brushed its fluttering wings, Etta convulsed violently. Alarmed, Ladybug instinctively tried to pull back, but she could not. Something closed around her hand, something cold and very strong, and it would not let go. 

“ _Fortuna_ , you are much changed.”

Fear like Ladybug had never known raced up her arm and down her back like so many worms burrowing beneath her skin. Her throat clenched at the sound of a voice that filled her with unknowable dread. It was coming from Etta, who looked up at Ladybug with wide, deadened eyes. 

“W-Who…” Ladybug could barely manage to get a word out. 

The grip on her buried hand tightened, and she whimpered. Tears stung her eyes. 

“I wanted to thank you in person,” said the presence inhabiting Etta.

Ladybug gritted her teeth hard enough to hurt. Whatever this thing was, an akuma or Hawk Moth or whatever, she could not allow herself to succumb to it. 

“Why?” she demanded.

Behind her, the Bogeyman was reforming rapidly as Chat’s spell wore off. 

“Ladybug, get out of there!” Chat shouted at her. 

Etta smiled. Thick, black tar dribbled down her lips, leaked from her eyes and ears. 

“Because you woke me up.”

Ladybug’s tears fell as a new wave of abject terror rattled her like electrocution.

_No, I would never—_

“The one that got away…has found its way back.”

Ladybug’s voice found a bit of courage, and she unleashed a strangled scream. Her fingers crushed down on the akuma still inside Etta, and the thing that reached back crushed down on her. “Let _go_!”

Etta’s eyes were swimming in black as more tar leaked out of her. When she spoke, she drowned. 

“ _Never_.”

“Ladybug, look out!” Chat rammed the nearly fully reformed Bogeyman in the leg as it lumbered toward Ladybug and Etta. It stumbled to one knee and made a swipe for him as if he were nothing but an annoying fly. 

“You can’t let go, _Fortuna_. Fear lives inside you now.”

“No. No! Etta, fight it! _Etta_!” Ladybug screamed, twisting her hand deeper. 

“You know. You have always known. I can feel you here, too.”

Ladybug screamed and pulled back with all her miraculous might. Her hand popped wetly, covered in the same smoking tar leaking from Etta. It drenched her hand and the hapless akuma crushed between her fingers. Etta was limp and catatonic once again, her eyes fallen closed. 

With the last akuma purified, the Bogeyman faded to black mist carried away on the wind. 

“My lady,” Chat said, falling at her side. “Whoa…”

Tar-splattered and dusty, Ladybug was sure she must look frightful. He took her face in his hands and brought her close. 

“It’s all right,” he said, searching her eyes. “It’s over now.”

A full-body tremor sapped the last of Ladybug’s strength. She released the battered butterfly to join its brethren and collapsed against Chat. Her hand ached with phantom pain, remembering the grip of another. 

“No,” she said in a tinny voice. “I don’t think it is.”

Chat’s ring beeped a warning, and Ladybug’s yo-yo beeped with a new voicemail from Fu. She played it back just as Alya, Nino, Alya’s parents, and other civilians began to converge on the two heroes and the unconscious little girls in their arms.

“Damnit,” Ladybug said as the message ended. “This was just a distraction. We have to get to the hospital!”

“Okay.” Chat helped her up. “Just one question: what’s a Viperion?”

* * *

 

Nathalie dropped her iPad, and the screen shattered. The audio from the news clip she’d been streaming continued to play.

“ _…at least three akumatized victims and many more afflicted by the akuma’s powers here at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Police have set up a roadblock, but attempts to enter the building have proven fatal…_ ”

The rest of the broadcast faded from hearing as she swayed on her feet. Her vision swam as she thought about the casualties, the infirm and the invalid, the very young and the very old, people who stood no chance against one, let alone three akumas. 

And Emilie. 

Emilie, who had her own private wing at that very same hospital. 

Emilie, the mother of Gabriel’s child and the great love of his life. The reason he’d ever begun any of this in the first place. 

Emilie, whom Gabriel would never, ever endanger for any reason at all. 

Nathalie looked down the hall to the door to Gabriel’s solarium, closed and locked. Emilie’s golden painting hung next to it. It had always looked sad to Nathalie.

Whoever was doing this, it wasn’t Gabriel. It had not been him for some time. There was no denying it now, no matter how insane, how unlikely it seemed. People did not simply _change_.

“I have to stop this.” Nathalie’s treasonous words echoed in the empty hallway. 

_I have to save her._

It was the only thought on her mind as she ran out of the house and got in her car. 

_I have to save her before he kills her, too._

With tears in her eyes and fear in her heart, Nathalie broke every speed limit as she raced to the hospital and hoped beyond hope that there would be something still left to save.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger. Not having Lila and Kagami in this chapter made me realize how much I wanted Lila and Kagami in this chapter. But it got long, so I had to break it up. Stay tuned for next time when our heroes and villains converge on the haunted hospital…
> 
> Next time: Queen Bee earns her crown.


	12. A Valiant Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw Miraculer and somehow fell even more in love with Chloe than I already was, believe it or not. Long live the one and only Queen Bee!
> 
> FANART ALERT!!! Sparpol did an AMAZING fanart featuring some scenes from the last chapter, including that ChloLuka scene with Viperion’s first transformation. Check it out [here](https://www.deviantart.com/sparpol/art/Look-Me-In-The-Stars-799260251)!

“ _Carina_ , you have a visitor!” Gia called from downstairs. 

Lila groaned. All she wanted to do was lie in bed and wallow so she wouldn’t have to think about Adrien and Fu’s proposition. 

“Sunshine, your mother said there’s someone to see you,” Orikko said unhelpfully. 

Lila shoved her pillow over heard. “I heard.”

Orikko wriggled his way under her pillow and nipped her ear.

“Ow! What was that for?!” Lila tossed her pillow aside.

Orikko hobbled onto her shoulder and peered at her with as much annoyance as a rooster-shaped god could muster. “You’re being self-indulgent.”

“I’m always self-indulgent.”

“I meant more than usual.”

“Oh, well, excuse me for having a crisis of conscience over here.”

Orikko’s feathers fluffed out and made him appear twice his size. He did that when he was frustrated, Lila noticed. Lately, he was increasingly frustrated with her. “Perhaps speaking truthfully with someone of your own species will help.”

“I think I’m the last person Adrien wants to see right now.”

“I was referring to the woman.”

Before Lila could ask, there was a knock on her bedroom door, and her mother opened it without waiting to be admitted. “Lila, honey, look who came to say hello!”

Kagami Tsurugi was…

Well.

In all honesty, she was not the last person Lila expected to come calling, especially given how they last parted. Orikko made himself scarce like goddamned disappearing ink, the sneaky little bugger. And good thing, too, because Kagami did not wait to be admitted. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Rossi,” she said politely. 

Gia was all smiles. “You girls have fun!” She closed the door behind her.

Lila rolled her eyes and sank back on her bed. “I mean, I could’ve been naked in here.”

Kagami lingered by the door but not in an awkward way. Her dark eyes were studious, her posture casual. “Next time I’ll call ahead. What’s your number?”

Lila snorted. Really, though? “If you were a guy, I might be tempted to slap you.” She eyed Kagami askance. “I still might.”

Kagami smiled like she enjoyed their little game. Maybe she did. She was here, after all. “If I were a guy, your mother wouldn’t have closed the door on us.” 

“Getting ideas, are you?”

“I have a poor imagination, trust me.”

Lila bit her lip. Perhaps she was enjoying their little game a bit too much. Then again, what did it matter? The door was closed, and her mother was none the wiser. “Mine’s vivid.”

Kagami laughed, low and rich, pleasant. “I bet.”

Lila sat up in bed and draped her arms over her knees. “What’s that?” She nodded at the small box in Kagami’s hands. 

Kagami looked at the box like she’d forgotten she had it. “Oh, this? Nothing.”

Lila turned on the bed and crossed her legs. “Give it here.”

“Demanding, aren’t we?”

“You obviously brought it for me.”

“Are you always so sure of yourself?” She paused. “Don’t answer that.”

Lila grinned. For a few transient moments, she forgot just how fucking miserable the last twenty-four hours had been.

For that, Kagami could stay. 

“Come here.” Lila gestured at the space on her bed next to her. 

This time, Kagami approached. “You’ll like it.”

“Will I?” Lila untied the black ribbon and ran her fingers over the edges of the simple, white box, savoring the anticipation. 

She _loved_ presents. 

“Yes.” 

Without another word, Lila opened the box and freed the little treasure inside. 

“ _Okashi_ ,” Kagami said. “It’s a traditional Japanese sweet.”

Carefully wrapped in plastic wrap, the two sweets were molded in the shape of flowers, one black and one white. They looked handmade. Feeling mischievous, Lila unfolded the plastic wrap and lifted the white flower to her lips. It was sweet, but not too sweet. A little grainy, a little doughy. A hint of something vaguely floral. 

“It’s so so,” she said.

“I made it.”

Lila choked, and Kagami laughed. 

“God, your face.” 

“Fuck you, I could’ve just died.”

“Nah, you’ll go down in fire and brimstone, not choking on _okashi_.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to save you a backstage pass to that show.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

They sat there in a not quite comfortable silence as Lila finished her bite of sweet, until Lila handed Kagami the black flower. 

“I don’t like to eat by myself,” she said, taking another bite. 

Kagami accepted the sweet and took a small bite. Lila waited. 

“It’s not very good,” Kagami said at length. 

They looked at each other, mouths full of food, and laughed. Not the mutual good humor kind of laugh, but something sharper, as bitter as the subpar _okashi_ they shared. 

“It was pretty at least.”

“I tried.”

“They say that’s all that matters.” Lila finished her sweet and licked her thumb. 

Kagami was quiet a moment as she regarded her. “What do you say?”

_Oh, come on, now._

Lila leaned back on her elbows and peered at the skylight over her bed. “You know.”

Kagami polished off the rest of her sweet and leaned back on the bed next to Lila. “I want to hear you say it.”

Lila couldn’t explain why, but she balked at the notion of giving Kagami what she wanted. That would mean losing. Specifically, it would mean losing to _her_.

_A game._

It was all just a game. 

A winner and a loser. 

_Why do you think those are your only options?_

Lila could practically hear Orikko’s annoying monotone poking and prodding her sensibilities like he knew better. And being a literal god as old as time itself, he probably did. That didn’t mean she had to like it. 

“And I want to know why you’re really here,” Lila hedged. 

Kagami paused. Maybe she was disappointed that Lila had avoided her question. If she was, she didn’t show it. “You disappeared last night.”

Ah, that. She should have figured. 

“Gallina got me out of there.”

“Chat Noir said as much. You know her or something?”

“Maybe. Why, you jealous?”

“Maybe.”

Lila bit her tongue to stop from laughing. Kagami was watching her, waiting for her to crack. She wouldn’t. 

“What did you think of Gallina?” Lila asked. 

Sloppy, sure. But she couldn’t resist. 

“I thought she was a stuck-up princess type.”

Lila snorted. “Please, we both know that’s exactly your type.”

“Hey, I never said I was in it for the princess’ favor.”

“And I told you that was your loss.”

Kagami lay back. “Maybe.” She was silent a moment, and then, “She saved my life.”

Lila lay back so they were shoulder to shoulder. “She’s a hero; it’s her job.”

“She was ready to die. There was this moment when the nightmare came after me and Chat Noir. I was sure we were done for, and she…”

“She saved you.”

“She sacrificed herself. It’s not the same.”

Lila bit her cheek, uncomfortable. No, it was not the same, she supposed. 

“I didn’t think she would.” Kagami stared resolutely at the skylight and the darkling sky beyond. “I didn’t think she had it in her.”

Lila glanced at Kagami, but she was lost in the stars, far from here. Adrift, and yet so certain. Certain like Lila never was. Even that choice to distract the Cerberus had been out of body, like someone else was pulling her strings.

Is it living if you’re dreaming? 

“Oh ye of little faith,” Lila teased. 

Kagami looked at her, and for a moment, Lila imagined all those stars above come down to rest here. There were galaxies in Kagami, epic and endless. 

What was in her?

The gentle hand on her cheek was not unexpected so much as unearned. 

_What do you see when you look at me?_

“I don’t think it’s me who lacks faith,” Kagami said. 

Lila wasn’t sure when she started to hear her heart beat, but it was thunder in her ears now, and she couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t hear herself _think_. Without warning, she sat up on the bed and gripped the duvet in a vice grip. 

Kagami slowly sat up next to her. 

“What do you suggest?” Lila’s long, chestnut hair hid her face, but little else. “When one lacks faith.”

“Find something worth fighting for.”

Lila snorted derisively. “Something noble.”

“Something true.”

Lila closed her eyes and saw darkness. “And if nothing is true?”

Kagami took her time answering. “Then you pick a side and see it through to the end.” 

_Pick a side._

She knew which side Adrien wanted her to choose. So what other choice was there? What did she have to lose? What did she have to gain?

_And see it through to the end._

What kind of ending was there for a liar who’d spent her life avoiding it at all costs?

“You make it sound so simple.” 

Kagami shifted beside her. “I think the hardest decisions usually are. It’s our desire to complicate things that muddies the waters.”

“Or maybe we just like pain.”

“Nobody likes pain; they like the confirmation that they’re alive.” Kagami brushed Lila’s long bangs behind her ear. “What about you? Are you alive?”

_I don’t know_ , she wanted to say. 

_I haven’t known for years._

But she said none of those things. In that moment, Lila hated Kagami. Not like she hated Ladybug or Marinette or Chloe or any of the others, that immolating hatred that flared and subdued and had the power to consume her raw should it spiral out of control. No, not Kagami. Lila hated her like she hated herself: simmering, stinging, and inescapable. Prometheus and the eagle, healed overnight and ripped open anew come morning. But as the eagle feasted upon her innards, it saw all that lay within. Beneath the skin, behind the mask, exposed and execrable. 

And still it returned, faithfully, every morning. 

Kagami waited for her answer like she didn’t expect it, but she would hear it all the same. 

“Girls!” called Gia from downstairs. “I’m making dinner. Will Kagami be staying?”

_Pick a side._

Lila rose and opened her bedroom door. 

“Yes, Mom, she’s staying.” Lila glanced back at Kagami. “We’re coming down now.” 

_And see it through to the end._

* * *

 

There were too many enemies and too little space. Queen Bee took a grazing punch to the face and flipped quickly away from the possessed doctor. He scuttled after her on all fours along the broken wall, his jaw open and drooling. Glassy eyes leered in the shadows, watching for any sign of exhaustion or carelessness. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. 

With a battle cry, Queen Bee let her top fly. It ran over the doctor and spun in a tight arc between her and the others just long enough for her to dash through an open door down the hall and slam it behind her. Breathing hard, she took a moment to think. 

“What the hell is going on?” 

In the hall, the sounds of the creatures that had once been human haunted her, stalked her. It would not be long before they broke in here, too. She looked around. It was dark, but her eyes were adjusted somewhat, and she saw stacked boxes and new medical equipment wrapped in plastic. A storage room, and there was another door leading out to the same hall a few paces down. 

“Marcella…” a disembodied voice crooned through the walls. 

Queen Bee repressed a shiver. That _thing_ , whatever it was, would not go down with a smack from her super powered top. It wasn’t even really a thing, but a force. Darkness…everywhere. 

“Stop it,” she hissed before the fear could grow too powerful. It had been beaten once; it could be beaten again. 

She needed to think of something fast. No pretty music would save Viperion and all those kids from the horrors lurked in these halls. If something happened to him while she was stuck here wasting time…

“ _Stop_ it.”

Queen Bee covered her mouth, shocked at the words and feelings that were not _quite_ her own. 

“Pollen?” She laid a hand over her heart, wishing she could ask Pollen for help. But there was no one here but her. Her, and somewhere stuck in this haunted labyrinth, Viperion, too. 

And it was unacceptable, really, that he should have to put up with this _bullshit_ on his first night out. Unforgivable, even. If he died—

“Marcella…” the nightmare taunted. 

Queen Bee could hear the poor souls that had lost their humanity scuttling like beetles on the other side of the wall, biding their time under the nightmare’s compulsion. Frightened nearly out of her mind and knowing the odds and numbers were stacked heavily against her, she nonetheless couldn’t think of a good enough reason to back down and give up. She faced the door and clenched her fists to stop the tremble in her fingers. Furious blue eyes followed the undulating shadows in the glass beyond. 

One hit with Venom, and she could freeze the darkness long enough to get past it, but that would not stop the others. She was one against an army, and she was deathly afraid.

“Pollen, I know you can hear me,” she said, watching her own warped reflection in the glass. Red eyes popped open on the other side, murky and hungry. “Whatever happens…” She pressed her trembling hand over her heart and forced herself to breathe. “I’m not stopping.”

Teeth bared, Queen Bee took aim and let her top fly with all her might. The crash through the plaster was deafening, and she quickly dashed after it. Chunks of tile and cement churned under the top’s violent path, and the haunted creatures that could not get out of the way fast enough were steamrolled without mercy. Hands grabbed at Queen Bee, yanking and tearing and ripping at her, but she pushed and punched and never let her feet stop moving. 

At the end of the dark hall, lurid eyes opened impossibly wide like two great, molten maws eager to swallow her whole. “Marcella!” the akuma bellowed everywhere at once. 

More of the mindless creatures descended on Queen Bee’s top, piling atop it and stalling its ruinous trajectory. They fell atop her, too, and it took all her super strength to beat them off without falling along with them. She screamed as she kicked and punched and ran straight for the looming shadow dead ahead, and for one flawless, furious moment, she imagined an ending to this story where not even darkness itself could win against her choice to be brave. 

“Venom!”

Second to none, a merciless power buzzed and burst from within her, at once familiar and foreign. Burning hands clawed their way out from under the shadows that dared to smother her, dared to stop her, and they paid the price in fury and fire. Stung, swollen bodies fell like paper dolls at her feet, and Queen Bee rose far above them. 

“Marcella!!!” the nightmare bellowed, filling the cramped hall with its putrid presence. 

She advanced on the nightmare, and an army of immortal, glowing bees swarmed around her, magic made real. The darkness groaned and bared its inky heart to swallow them whole, but not even fear can stand against a valiant heart. 

Knowing, yet not, Queen Bee pushed and felt herself pulled in turn. Hell of a time for an out of body experience, and yet she couldn’t be bothered to care as she drew upon more power, and it drew her in turn.

An endless wave of Venom slammed into the heart of darkness, eating away at it like acid. Those fallen minions it commanded that tried to intervene were stopped dead in their tracks by more of the shimmering bees, poisoned over and over until they could no longer move. 

“You think a little darkness can stop Us?” Queen Bee bellowed in a voice much and many more than the girl behind the mask. 

The darkness squirmed in her toxic fingers like vermin fleeing the dawn. A mad, screaming buzzing filled her ears, a war cry that quickened her blood and ignited her very soul. And it was not her hands, but another’s that dug deeper, pushed her onward and upward.

“We are Courage,” Queen Bee roared, “and We bow to none!”

The darkness quaked around her, and the very air shuddered. Something rose to meet her, something that had not been there before. It snaked its coiling fingers around her wrists.

“Insolent human pretender, you are nothing,” rattled an impossible voice from the heart of darkness.

Agony, this touch. Hers and…not. But she knew, she _knew_. Fuck pain, she was _strong_. They both were.

Bloody eyes bored into hers, fiery blue to match the rest of her, impossibly aflame. She leaned in to the deepest, darkest part of that putrid mass with a wicked smile. 

“We are _everything_.” 

Queen Bee closed her Venomous fist around the oily akuma trapped within and ripped it out with everything she had. The akuma shrieked in agony, and its tar slipped through her fingers like blood. But it could not escape her noxious touch and shriveled in her grasp. 

The effects were immediate. As though a strong wind had blown through, the darkness sloughed off the walls and receded into the corners as though it had never been there at all. The haunted presence was gone, and its victims lay motionless on the ground in heaps, twitching under Venom’s paralytic effects. 

Queen Bee stumbled and caught herself on the wall, her heart racing. Her body ached as though she’d fallen from a great height. Venom still drenched her fingers, and her glowing army of killer bees floated around her, their swarming calmed to a dull murmur. “What…”

She clutched her heart, the memories of what she had just done fuzzy and strange, like they weren’t entirely hers. Surrendering her heart, her body, even her life to victory had awakened something. Something not entirely knowable, not entirely human. All that power, it was like nothing she had ever felt before. And it was all around her. 

She held out her hand, and one of the bees landed on her palm. Magic shimmered its stripes when she ran a finger over it, and a clear, deafening thought rang in her head: 

_Obey._

Queen Bee had so many questions for Pollen, but they would have to wait. This new form of Venom, whatever it was, could give her the firepower she needed to find Viperion and escape this nightmare maze. She let the little bee go and tightened her grip on the frozen akuma she’d collected. 

“Okay then,” she said, relishing in the power buzzing in her veins and all around her. “Let’s go find Viperion.”

Queen Bee set off into the shadows, and her army swarmed after her.

* * *

 

Viperion’s threnody flooded the haunted hospital halls with an almost corporeal force. When the Haunted pulled the killer clown into a side room and smothered it with their bodies, clearing a path for the group, Viperion tried not to think about it and concentrated on keeping the Haunted in his thrall. Now, they stalked the halls, following the group and scaring the children. 

“It’s all right,” Fu tried to assuage them. “They cannot hurt us so long as Viperion keeps playing.”

But how long could he keep it up? And how many could he control? Viperion did not know, and with each corner they turned with no exit in sight, the more afraid he was of finding out. 

The Haunted hissed and grunted behind them, aware and resisting. He felt their pull, the power of their numbers against his lonely song, and instinctively knew this power had a time limit. Ironic, considering he was playing host to the avatar of Time itself. He made a note to ask Sass about that if he made it out of here with his life.

“Take a right up there!” one of the nurses said in a shaky voice. “It should take us out the Emergency Room loading dock.”

“You’re sure?” Viperion said. Talking was an effort, and the moment he began thinking about the path to the ER, he felt Hypnosis waver. 

Some of the children screamed; two of the Haunted had broken free of Hypnosis’ pull and lunged at the group. Fu recklessly rolled Valentin’s stretcher into their path, sparing the children but jostling Valentin off the stretcher entirely. 

“Help me!” Fu shouted at one of the nurses as he scrambled after Valentin’s unconscious body. 

Two of the older kids came to his aid instead. Valentin began to seize on the floor, and before Fu could lay hands on him, a black mass clawed its way out of his chest. Impossibly, the akuma left Valentin of its own accord and fluttered off into the shadows. 

“What on earth—Valentin!” Fu scooped the child in his arms as Valentin continued to convulse. Black spittle foamed at his mouth and ran down his chin in dark, spidery veins.

“The children!” shouted one of the nurses. 

Viperion barely caught a glimpse of the other two akumas similarly leaving Marcella and Théo, but there was no time to dwell on the bizarre turn as yet another Haunted broke free of Hypnosis. Panicking, Viperion sprinted back to the group, his fingers aching as they plucked at the lyre’s mystical strings. 

“Stay back!” he shouted at the Haunted. 

In the commotion, some of the children broke from the group and a nurse shouted for them to stay put. More Haunted snapped and grabbed at them, still held back by Viperion’s power but fighting it. He bit his tongue and tasted blood. 

“I said, stay back!”

A fresh burst of Suggestive magic snaked around him and carried his song to the edges of the horde, buffeting the Haunted back. But it wasn’t enough. A little boy was sobbing on the ground as a Haunted patient stuck full of tubes pulled him by the ankle. Something approached the way the group had come, like a heavy body being dragged over the floor. 

“Valentiiiiiiiiiin!” 

Viperion shuddered in fear. From among the horde, the killer clown emerged dragging its mallet and grinning wolfishly. Impossibly, it was somehow _more_. Limbs too long, red hair frazzled, grease paint sloughing like rainwater, it had a rabid look to it that had not been there before. Its yellowed eyes fell to Valentin’s seizing body on the floor, and it began to laugh. 

“Viperion!” Fu said desperately. 

His focus torn between the Haunted pressing in from all sides, the killer clown, and his own mounting fear, Viperion felt his power straining beyond his limits. It was too much, too strong, and he was barely hanging on. 

“Sass, help me!” he begged his kwami, hoping beyond hope that he was listening. 

A moment of clarity seemed to slow down time as Viperion looked around. He saw them all clearly, the Haunted and the humans, the kids and the clown, crashing together as imminently as the flow of time itself. And in that moment, he realized there was no stopping it. Time, immutable and eternal, would never bend or break. It was passive, and all it could do was prolong the inevitable. 

But Viperion was not so restrained. Quickly deciding that the clown was the greatest threat, he poured everything he had into the power at his fingertips and willed it to _do something_. 

“You can’t have him!” he shouted, sprinting straight for the killer clown.

The Haunted around him jerked and twisted unnaturally, and they abandoned their attack on Fu and the kids to follow Viperion into battle. The clown only laughed and raised its mallet, but Viperion would be damned it if got ahold of Valentin on his watch. 

Queen Bee had trusted him to keep the children safe at all costs, even if that cost was his life. He’d made his choice with eyes wide open, and nothing was going to take that away from him. 

The killer clown’s mallet reached the zenith of its bloody path. Three Haunted threw themselves at it before Viperion and clung to its bright, baggy clothes, but they weren’t strong enough to stop it. Tossing down his lyre, Viperion threw himself at the clown and prayed Fu would have enough time to get the group out of here. 

The music stopped, but a terrible droning filled the silence left behind. Just as Viperion got ahold of the mallet, a swarm of incandescent bees erupted from the darkness and completely covered the clown and the Haunted surrounding it. He wrenched the mallet out of the clown’s dead hands, and together they fell hard. Red-painted lips peeled back over long, yellow fangs opened wide to tear a chunk out of Viperion's face, but they never made it. 

A familiar, striped hand forced the clown's jaws open and reached down its throat to the elbow.  “No more evildoing for you, you ugly son of a bitch.” With a grunt of effort, Queen Bee pulled her arm out of the killer clown and Valentin’s paralyzed akuma along with it.

The acrid smell of their Venom stung Viperion’s eyes as he stared, dumbstruck, but he barely noticed it as he watched Queen Bee. She clutched two paralyzed butterflies in her hand and rose. She _radiated_.

“Queen Bee,” he rasped. 

She held out her hand to him. “Viperion.”

Too stunned to say anything more, he let her pull him up. She stunned him once again when she threw her arms around him like he was everything to her. 

“Sorry I’m late.”

And he remembered that she was more than the golden hero who had somehow found the courage to save them all like she vowed she would. She was so much more. Sighing, he hugged her back and buried his nose in her neck, breathed in her poison and honey like a drug. 

“I’m _so_ happy to see you,” he said. 

“Queen Bee,” Fu said, back on his feet but bleeding from a shallow cut on his forehead. “You are a most welcome sight.”

With the Haunted incapacitated and the killer clown gone for good, the Venom bees settled around the children in a golden haze. Some of the children sobbed, while others remained eerily quiet. But every one of them was accounted for, and the two nurses did their best to herd them together. 

“You too,” Queen Bee said, still holding on to Viperion. 

He didn’t begrudge her the contact, and she didn’t pull away when he touched her temple, which was purpling with a nasty bruise from the Haunted’s punch she’d taken before. 

“What happened?” Fu asked. “These bees… I did not know you had this much power.”

She glanced up at Viperion. “Let’s just say I was inspired.”

All Viperion could think of in that moment was how incredible she was. He had given everything he thought he had, but where he’d come up short, she had found a way. And honestly? He wasn’t surprised at all. 

His Miraculous Bangle beeped suddenly, and Queen Bee examined his wrist. “That’s your countdown,” she said. “We need to get out of here before you revert.”

He nodded. “All right. I like our odds with your loyal subjects watching our backs.” He bent to retrieve his lyre.

“Queen Bee, could you please help me with Valentin?” Fu indicated the now still Valentin on the floor.

Queen Bee gently lifted the child back onto his gurney, but her expression was troubled to look upon him. “What the hell happened to him?”

“It’s the same with the others,” one of the nurses said, wheeling Marcella’s gurney over. “The akumas suddenly left them, and now they’re like this…”

“That explains why I was able to pull the akumas out of those nightmares, I guess,” Queen Bee said. “But _why_?”

Viperion observed the bees crawling along the wall, fascinated. “Maybe Hawk Moth sensed your new power as a threat and released them?”

Queen Bee wiped black foam from Marcella’s chin. “Maybe…”

Marcella suddenly coughed and opened her eyes. 

“Théo!” one of the little boys cried out, too short to reach over Théo’s gurney. He, too, was awake and sputtering. 

Valentin groaned and tried to sit up. “What’s going on?”

“They’re all awake,” Fu said, incredulous.

Viperion’s bracelet beeped another warning, and Queen Bee made a face. “Hold the celebrations until we get out of this shit hole. Come on, everyone, let’s get moving.”

* * *

 

The hospital was crawling with police and paramedics when Nathalie pulled up and parked her car on a dark side street. Power lines were down and sparking, and victims of the attacks were stranded in the parking lot, many of them blind with darkness. Onlookers had gathered behind the perimeter taking videos and pictures on their phones. Several news teams had gathered and were reporting live. It would be no easy task slipping by the police perimeter, but Nathalie was determined. 

She retrieved a crowbar from the trunk of her car and skirted the hospital grounds. The maintenance entrance was less guarded, and no victims seemed to have come out this way. She headed for the doors, but a patrolling officer spotted her on his way back to the front and shouted. 

“Hey, you can’t go back there, it’s not safe!” He ran to stop her.

Nathalie waited until he was close enough to grab and drove the heel of her palm into his nose, shattering it. He grunted in pain and staggered, and Nathalie quickly divested him of his firearm. “Sorry,” she said curtly, leaving him there on the sidewalk dazed and confused. 

She tried not to think about all the laws she was breaking as she attacked the locked maintenance double doors with her crowbar. It took a bit of leverage and a lot of strength, but she managed to pry open one of the doors and slip inside. The police officer’s pistol was a comforting weight against the small of her back. She prayed she would not need to use it. 

Inside, the lights sputtered as the backup generator worked overtime to keep them on. The flickering effect cast the blanched halls in a creepy, strobe-lit glare that affected Nathalie more than she cared to admit. Any moment now and she expected one of the akumatized nightmares to pop around a corner and mangle her. 

But she kept on, and she encountered nothing and no one. The air was thick and sharp with the stench of ozone. Aside from her own progress and the low droning of the short-circuiting lights, she heard nothing. It was so quiet, too quiet.

In her mind’s eye, she saw the path to Emilie’s private wing, having visited many times before. It was not far, just another long corridor and some finagling with the crow bar to get past the locked doors. 

She turned a corner, and her heart momentarily stopped. 

Just ahead was a crackling mass of electricity. It moved like ball lightning, slow and sparkling. Static jumped from the mass and slid along the white walls like dragging fingers. The overhead lights flickered furiously and popped, shattering glass and plaster. Strangest of all was the black mist it leaked, heavy like fog. People slumped against the walls, their charred skin sparking as the mist swirled around them. 

“Théo…”

Nathalie bit her tongue so hard she tasted blood. That voice was not so much a voice as a general feeling of foreboding that crackled under her skin. Silently, she pressed her back to the wall out of sight and forced herself to breathe. Emilie’s wing was through the doors to the right, about halfway between her position and the electric nightmare. 

If she made a break for it, she might make it.

But if she didn’t…

The crowbar was heavy in her hands. It would do her no good against a being made of lightning. The gun was no help, either. The sound would likely draw whatever else lurked in these halls to her position. And if she did manage to get to Emilie, how would she get them both out?

“Damn you, Gabriel,” she hissed. 

She was going to get Emilie out of here. And then, she would deal with Gabriel. That is, if there was anything left of him to deal with. 

Tears stung her eyes, and she shook her head. 

_Focus._

She would be damned if she let Adrien lose both his parents in one night. With that thought in mind, she peered around the corner again and steeled herself for the fastest sprint of her life. But just as she was getting ready to make a break for it, there was a loud crashing sound somewhere farther down the hall. The ball lightning creature was nowhere in sight, but the people it had left in its wake staggered to their feet, drawn by the commotion, and clambered around the far corner. 

Fear tempted Nathalie into paralysis, but she had no time to be afraid. This might be her only chance, and she would not waste the windfall. She sprinted to the doors as quietly as she could and jammed the crowbar in between them. The security reader was fried, and the metal doors groaned in protest as she leveraged the automatic lock. 

Another crash. Shuffling—no, scuttling. Above.

Behind her. 

Nathalie let go of the crowbar, drew the pistol from her waistband, and fired. The _thing_ shrieked as it fell to the floor with a gaping hole in its belly. Horrified, Nathalie recognized the shape of a person in a paper hospital gown, a teenaged girl. A _child_. 

But no longer. Struggling, the creature’s dislocated jaw scraped the tiled floor, and it bled out black tar and a mist that reminded Nathalie of the same substance the ball lightning had discharged. Sunken eyes fallen to shadows saw through her, blind to pain and blind to humanity.

“Oh god,” Nathalie choked, panic taking hold as the creature, injured but still alive, began to drag itself closer. 

She yanked on the crowbar once, twice more, and the lock wrenched and gave. She barely made it through the door when the creature made a grab for her ankle and ripped the cuff of her pants. 

An alarm blared, and the hall ignited in flickering red. The PA system blared with a pre-recorded voice. 

_“Security to memorial wing. Security to memorial wing.”_

Nathalie gritted her teeth and ran faster. That fucking alarm was going to summon more of those things right to her location! She had to move. She had to save Emilie. 

Her low heels clacked on the tile, strident and loud. The door to Emilie’s room was just ahead, and she burst through. The red alarm lights continued to flash in the hall, but not in here. Emilie was exactly as Nathalie had last visited her a couple weeks ago. To the untrained eye, she appeared to sleep peacefully, Briar Rose tucked away dreaming, waiting for the kiss that would quicken her blood once more. But her face was etiolated, her golden hair brittle as straw, and tubes and needles shackled her to the machines that could do nothing for her but confirm her curse. 

Nathalie immediately set to work disentangling Emilie from the coffin of monitoring equipment boxing her in. “Come on, come on!”

The gurney she was on had wheels, and Nathalie made short work of unlocking them to be able to push her. 

There was another loud crash. A groan chilled Nathalie’s blood. Something was coming, and it was coming fast. Nathalie’s heart thundered in her chest, but her hands were steady around the officer’s gun as she leveled it at the door. 

One beat.

Two.

A loud thud against the door startled her so badly that she almost fired. But the body of another haunted creature flung through the door stalled her just long enough to hold, and _blessed_ that. Staring back at her over the barrel of the gun was a shadow of a man made bloody against the flickering crimson at his back. 

“Chat Noir,” Nathalie said, her voice cracking. 

Ruinous green eyes widened in recognition, and he lowered his smoking claw. The stench of an unreleased Cataclysm was acid in Nathalie’s lungs. 

“ _Nathalie_?” Chat said in Adrien’s voice. _Careless._ “What are you doing here?”

His eyes zeroed in on her gun, which she lowered. “Chat Noir,” she said again, reminding him of the mask he wore. “I need your help getting her out of here.”

He approached and looked down on Emilie and touched her face tenderly with his untainted claw. The sight was so soft, so fragile that for a moment, Nathalie forgot the danger as her heart broke for the boy. 

“Adrien Agreste,” Nathalie said, and Chat froze. “He’s her son. I can’t let him lose her, too.”

Chat receded deep within himself as he watched Nathalie, and she was struck by how…animalistic he looked like this. Like she wasn’t looking at Adrien behind the mask, but at someone else. Something else. Something not entirely knowable, not entirely sympathetic. 

“He won’t,” Chat said, and turned his back to her. “Stay close, and do exactly as I tell you.”

It was uncanny, really. If she didn’t know who he was beneath the mask, she may never have guessed it was sweet, magnanimous, agreeable Adrien. 

_It’s not_ , she thought to herself as she pushed Emilie’s gurney out the door after Chat, recalling that cold look he’d cast her. _Not entirely._

But there was no time to be distracted by her own thoughts. For now, she had to trust Chat’s lead. Her gaze fell to his right hand still burning with the corrosive magic of Cataclysm. One shot was all he had, she knew. She prayed it would be enough to get them out of here in one piece. 

Nathalie’s grip on Emilie’s gurney was white-knuckled as she passed the remains of several unmoving creatures in the hall. An angry streak of black painted a trail on the wall to the oily head of one of the creatures slumped against the wall. Nathalie averted her gaze and followed Chat as quickly as she could. 

“Go, _now_ ,” Chat said, pausing at the doors and directing her to the right. 

Nathalie did not need to be told twice, and she took off around the corner as quickly as she could manage. A blood-curdling scuttling noise drew her attention to the wall, where two possessed people were _crawling_ in defiance of all the laws of gravity. Nathalie reeled back and reached for the crowbar she’d lain over Emilie’s chest, but Chat was there in a flash and elbowed the nearest creature. He grunted as he clenched his Cataclysm fist, unwilling to waste it on the small fries, and Nathalie knew she had to do something. 

Vaulting over Emilie’s stretcher, she sank the curved end of the crowbar into the second creature’s shoulder and pulled it back with all her strength. It reared up with a clicking snarl and smacked her in the face. Nathalie grunted, disoriented and temporarily blinded; the creature had knocked her glasses clean off her face. 

“Fuck!” She fell to her knees and scrambled to locate them, but the flickering lights, the blaring alarm from Emilie’s wing, and the threat of disembowelment made her clumsy. 

“Nathalie!!” Chat shouted. 

She reeled back on pure instinct just as the limp body of one of the creatures fell before her, its head bent back at a sickening angle. 

“Move, damnit!” Chat ordered her as he struggled with another creature. 

Nathalie found her glasses by the wall. One of the lenses was cracked, but functional. She collided with Emilie’s stretcher and ran down the hall as fast as her legs would carry her, the crowbar forgotten. 

Chat roared and something heavy slammed the wall, but Nathalie did not stick around to watch the fight. The mess hall was just ahead, and beyond that the OR lobby. If she could just make it there, she could get Emilie out—

“Oh, shit!” 

The crackling bolt of electricity came out of nowhere, and it was all Nathalie could do to flip the gurney just as the shock knocked her down. Her throat burned, the ends of her short hair crinkled black, and her arms stung from the electric burns she suffered. Wheezing, she struggled to pull herself up.

“Emilie…” Nathalie fell over Emilie’s unconscious body protectively. She did not appear to be harmed, the gurney having taken the brunt of the shock. However, she had lost the delicate, blue broach pinned to her hospital gown. Nathalie grabbed it, knowing it was far too valuable to leave behind. “Damnit.”

Struggling with Emilie’s dead weight, Nathalie nonetheless dragged her up by her underarms away from the presence just around the corner. That chilling voice from before cracked like a live wire. 

“Théo…”

“Chat Noir!!” Nathalie screamed as she scrambled back with Emilie. 

A cold, dead light bloomed around the corner, and Nathalie got an eyeful of the electrified nightmare akuma rising over the flipped gurney. Within the amorphous ball of raw energy, Nathalie felt the weight of eyes upon her. 

“Incarnation… You _live_?”

The voice spoke as though beyond the electrified presence, different from the burning crackle of the mindless akuma. In Nathalie’s hand, the broach—the Peacock Miraculous that never, ever left Emilie’s person—burned so badly that Nathalie was forced to drop it with a clatter. 

“Cataclysm!” 

Out of nowhere, Chat Noir flew recklessly at the nightmare. Dark magic ripped through the air with a thunder all its own. The walls, Emilie’s abandoned gurney, the ropes of electricity themselves—none of it was fast enough to escape the rapacious Void now that it had a taste. Nathalie gritted her teeth to her pain and hauled Emilie back, but not before grabbing the Peacock Miraculous again and jamming it in her pocket. 

Just when she was sure it was over, a clap of thunder exploded from the rapidly dissolving ball lightning and hit her with a physical force. She and Emilie were blown back bodily and hit a wall. 

“Oh…”

Nathalie’s head rang, and blood leaked from her ears and nose. Above, the ceiling cracked and caved, but even in her ruined state Nathalie Sancoeur was a tough bitch who would _not_ die buried in the rubble like vermin. With a roar she couldn’t hear, she summoned one final burst of energy and dragged Emilie and herself through an open door to the left just as the ceiling collapsed behind her. 

* * *

 

It was chaos by the time Ladybug arrived at the hospital. They hadn’t made it even halfway from Alya’s place when Chat suddenly snapped and demanded to know which hospital they were headed for. When Ladybug told him, he bared his fangs with a curse and took off at blinding speed. Ladybug was beside herself unable to keep up with him, and all he left her with was a growling ‘My mother’ before disappearing into the night.

Somewhere in the back of her mind where Marinette slept while Ladybug took over, she remembered Adrien saying something about his mom being in a coma at the hospital. It had never occurred to her to wonder if it was this very hospital currently overrun by nightmares and a supernatural plague Luka was calling the Haunted. 

“What are you even doing here?!” Ladybug demanded as she cracked open her yo-yo to purify the two frozen akumas that, somehow, Queen Bee had left for her. 

“Never mind that for now, Ladybug,” Fu said. “Right now, you must focus on the children.”

There were three of them, all familiar and, surprisingly, all awake. 

“Ladybug!” Valentin cried, reaching for her. 

“Valentin, you’re awake!” Ladybug caught him when he threw himself at her, his little arms just long enough to wrap around her waist. 

She was surprised when Luka pulled him off her with a little more force than was necessary. But before she could question it, he pulled back the hem of Valentin’s pajama shirt and exposed the fine, black veins that had risen upon his dark skin. 

“What is…” Ladybug trailed off. 

“They’re sick,” Luka hissed. “All three of them.”

“I’m not sick, I promise!” Valentin said, his wide, brown eyes glassy as he looked up at Ladybug. “Please, I just wanna go home!”

Fu, Ladybug, Luka, and the three akumatized children were on the roof of the hospital loading dock away from the eyes of onlookers and reporters. She had half a mind to send the children down to the police for care.

“It itches,” Marcella complained from her spot seated by an air vent. She scratched at her sleeve. Fine, black veins had begun to creep up her neck like cracks. Théo was silent, his knees drawn to his chest as he rocked back and forth. 

“We don’t know what it is,” Fu said. “But it began after the akumas left the children of their own accord. It appears to be spreading.”

“I don’t understand,” Ladybug said, numb. “Is it a side effect of their previous akumatization?”

“More like a sssssssymptom of the current one.”

Ladybug gaped at the teal snake that slithered out of Luka’s shirt collar and stuck his forked tongue out at her. A chill ran down her spine as she looked into the snake’s—the _kwami_ ’s auriferous eyes. 

“You can heal them, right?” Luka asked. 

Ladybug had no idea how so many things could go so utterly, fantastically wrong in the span of a few hours. Luka being Miraculous, however, was the least of her worries right now. She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. 

_Okay._

Okay. 

“Ladybug,” Fu said. “I do not think we have much time.”

She glanced at Théo, whose hands were now covered in the spidery, black veins. Marcella continued to scratch herself incessantly. “Okay, I’ll try.”

Try what? There was no akuma, no source of darkness. What _exactly_ was she supposed to try?

She beckoned to Valentin, who eagerly returned to her side when Luka released him, and sat him down. “Valentin, I need you to sit very still, alright? I’m going to help you.”

“Okay,” he said brightly. 

The enthusiasm did not land, and Ladybug shivered under his glassy gaze. His grin stretched his skin taut, and she briefly imagined it tearing like tissue paper, brittle. She averted her gaze, horrified at her own morbid thoughts. He was only a child, innocent. 

The snake kwami was focused intently on Valentine and flared his hood. “Foul,” he hissed. 

“Sass, that’s not helping,” Luka said, hiding him from Valentin’s sight. 

Ladybug wasn’t so sure. Just the sight of those veins made her skin crawl. Worms crawling just beneath the surface, under the skin. Inside. 

_“Fear lives inside you now.”_

She shook her head to dispel that awful, awful voice. Whatever her own issues, her own fears, Valentin did not deserve to suffer at their expense. Her yo-yo was heavy in her hands, a little scuffed. 

“Just a conduit…”

Valentin looked up at her expectantly, still grinning something awful. What an odd thought. 

“Okay, Valentin. This won’t hurt a bit,” she said. 

Ladybug cracked open her yo-yo, exposing the pool of light magic held within. Luka stared, wide-eyed and awed, as she dipped her fingers into the cool bath. Valentin reached for her dripping fingers, eager. She glanced at him and noticed for the first time the tears in his eyes. The sight of his smiling face was suddenly changed, teeth gritted too tightly, cheeks pinched to tearing, and those black veins stretching over his chin and temples, encroaching. 

_“I can feel you here, too.”_

“Ladybug?” Fu prompted. “Is something the matter?”

Marcella and Théo were both watching her, silent. Marcella had ceased her scratching, and Théo had stilled his rocking. Something…

_Something’s not right._

Before she had a chance to say anything, an explosive clap of thunder quaked the entire hospital, and Ladybug dropped her yo-yo. As one, the three children dove for the yo-yo with grabby, grubby hands. Luka shouted. Fu lost his balance. Ladybug did the only thing that made sense to her. 

“Lucky Charm!”

The bath of light magic burst and solidified into a weighted net, and the three children fell on top of each other caught up in it. They bit, scratched, and snarled as they tried in vain to rip free of it, all while struggling to grab Ladybug’s yo-yo. 

She snatched the yo-yo out of their reach, eyes wide and unable to do much else besides stare. The black veins had completely overtaken their skin and clouded their eyes. Feral, mindless, they knew only the struggle and the urge to…to…

“Oh my god,” Ladybug sobbed. 

Sass hissed. “I know this sssssmell,”

“Haunted,” Luka said. “Just like all the others… But how? We were so careful!”

Fu was deathly pale as he stared at the Haunted children. “I don’t know.”

The hospital continued to quake and rumble, but instead of a concussive burst, this destruction seemed to bubble up from below. An entire section of the sprawling building began to smoke with rising ashes. Ladybug recognized the signs of Cataclysm instantly. 

“Chat Noir!” She got to her unsteady feet and began to compartmentalize the various problems before her. “I have to help him. Luka—”

He steadied himself on the ledge, barely able to tear his gaze from the feral Haunted kids still struggling in the Lucky Charm net. “Y-Yeah?”

“If you and Sass are up for it, I could use your help getting Master Fu and those kids to safety.”

“Okay. Yeah. I can do that.”

“Good. I don’t have much time. Where is Queen B—”

From among the rising ashes of Cataclysm, a wave of buzzing, golden light rose like phosphorescence. It took Ladybug a moment to realize that yes, those were bees she was seeing. A shit ton of them. 

“Majesssssty,” Sass hissed. “Human, we must hurry.”

“Okay. Fangs out!”

Luka—or rather, Viperion, if Ladybug had to guess—crouched low and gathered the Lucky Charm net in his strong hands. 

Ladybug didn’t stick around to make sure he did his job and took off in the direction of the impossible swarm of bees and Chat’s Cataclysm, willing Tikki to hold on to her transformation long enough to see this nightmare through.

* * *

 

Queen Bee’s journey through the haunted hospital was a systematic extermination that left no corner unexplored. Her Venom bees spilled into every nook and cranny, under closed doors and through the ceiling vents, all in search of hiding patients and trapped hospital staff. Those she found were released and sent stumbling back the way she had come. Those who were already fallen were petrified where they lurked. 

Viperion had taken to calling them Haunted. A fitting name, if a grim one. Queen Bee hoped Ladybug would hurry her ass up and exorcise whatever darkness had taken them over. Until then, the poison would stop them in their tracks. 

It was a rush, this power. She got a glimpse of herself in the windows she passed, her killer bees a flaming haze that made her feel divine. And she was, or had been. For a moment, she was immortal. A part of her, the part that remembered she was human underneath it all, wondered what she was now. 

Electrolyte was here somewhere. 

She could feel it lingering like a memory of terror, shapeless but bone-deep. 

An alarm triggered in the memorial wing, the PA surprisingly calm for a security breach. Someone was there, and they probably needed her help. She followed the wall floor plans to the correct wing. The acrid stench of ozone and blood stung her nose and lungs with every breath, and she readied herself for what would undoubtedly be a painful fight. 

“Time to find out if bees conduct electricity.”

Her army swarmed and swelled to meet the challenge, their courage empowering. Queen Bee advanced around the corner just in time to see Chat Noir lunge over the bodies of several Haunted. 

“Cataclysm!”

The living ruin that was Chat Noir’s ultimate power opened its black maw and ate at the walls, the sinister ball lightning, even the very air. Before Queen Bee could take another step, Electrolyte unleashed a devastating crack of thunder, and she went flying back the way she’d come. 

For a harrowing moment, Queen Bee was blind and back at Dupont, helpless and afraid and dreading Chat leaving her stranded. A dull pain thudded in her head and back, and she sucked in a breath. Venom washed down her throat and froze the fear in her veins before it could drag her under. Gagging, Queen Bee slumped forward over her knees. 

She was on the floor, knocked down, and her army of bees coated her like armor. Slowly, they peeled back, exposing more of her. A little dizzy, Queen Bee pulled herself to her feet and fought a head rush. 

“Damn bees,” she breathed. “Really could’ve used you guys, like, last night.”

The bees followed her as she made her way around the corner again, and she nearly tripped over Chat lying on the floor. He bled out of his ears and nose. Sticky blood matted his hair on the back of his head. 

“Shit, Chat! Wake up.”

Chat’s head lulled, and his eyes slid open, dilated and unfocused. He winced at the sight of her. “’S bright…”

Bending to her will, the bees receded a bit. “Hey, it’s me, Queen Bee. Can you hear me?”

“Bee…?” He blinked and seemed to regain some of himself. “Bee. Is that you?”

“Yeah, I’m right here. Come on, get up.”

He leaned on her. “Listen t’ me,” he slurred. “My mom, she’s…”

Queen Bee froze. “Shit, is that this hospital?”

“With Nathalie. Dunno where they went…”

_Why the fuck…?_

Queen Bee shook her head. This wasn’t the time to question things when their lives were on the line. “Come on, you have to walk. I have to get that last akuma.”

“You…what?”

She rolled her eyes. “I leveled up. Long story. Can you walk on your own?”

He leaned on the wall to brace himself. Queen Bee felt bad leaving him, but if Electrolyte reformed, she would have a hell of a time getting the akuma out of it without dying. 

“Find Nathalie and Emilie. I’ll handle the akuma.”

Chat’s eyes widened as he got a good look at her surrounded by her killer bees, and all he could do was stare.

The akuma was just ahead and writhing on the floor, or what was left of it. Queen Bee stepped into ground zero of Chat’s Cataclysm. Ashes fell at her feet and dissolved into nothing as the remnants of his devastating will crumbled everything they touched. A pitiful figure on the ground sparked as it battled Cataclysm’s corrosion, roughly humanoid but as small as a toddler. An arm too long for its body reached for Queen Bee, and eyes she could not see met her own. 

“You’re too late,” came the eerie voice from before. “I cannot be beaten.”

Queen Bee cracked her poisonous knuckles. “Try me.”

Swiftly, she sank her nails into the creature’s chest. Her bees turned rabid and crashed into the creature, smothering it and that infernal voice until there was nothing left of it but the paralyzed akuma. 

Prize in hand, she rose victorious. And yet, as she watched the akuma twitch pathetically in her fingers, she wondered at the presence that had spoken to her. “Cryptic motherfucker.”

“Bee!” Ladybug landed among the ashes before her. “Oh my god…”

Queen Bee smirked. “Fashionably late as usual, Bug.” She handed over the akuma. 

Ladybug snapped it up in her yo-yo and quickly purified it. “You’re _glowing_. Are those…?”

“Yeah.”

Cataclysm had done a number on this section of the hospital. By now, the entire western section was completely gone. Medical equipment, passed out people, and Venom drenched Haunted lay amidst the ashes, stranded and exposed. The police line was not far, and the flashes of camera phones and news recorders flickered like firecrackers in the gloom. 

“How?” Ladybug asked, enthralled by the shimmering bee that landed on her finger. 

“I’m not sure exactly.” Queen Bee laid a hand over her heart and felt it flutter. “But I know it was my choice.”

Ladybug looked at her with a strangely soft expression that Queen Bee did not really understand, but she had the sudden urge to take Ladybug’s hand then. She seemed so far away. 

“My lady,” Chat said. 

Both Queen Bee and Ladybug turned to find Chat Noir carrying Emilie Agreste bridal style while Nathalie leaned on his shoulder dragging her feet. 

“Chat, oh my god!” Ladybug was at his side in a flash and helping Nathalie. 

“Hey Bug, not to rush you, but as soon as I release Venom, all those Haunted I froze are going to wake up with one hell of a hangover,” Queen Bee said. 

Nathalie’s gaze was oddly piercing when it met Queen Bee’s. Unlike with Chat and Ladybug, she seemed unfazed by Queen Bee’s ostentatious display of power. An inexplicable chill ran down Queen Bee’s spine. She narrowed her eyes.

“I can’t let you do that!” Viperion shouted from the hospital’s roof. 

Queen Bee forgot all about Nathalie and focused on him. He sounded distressed, and something in her sparked. Her bees began to swarm in angry loops around her. 

“I don’t need your permission!” Another voice, feminine. Familiar. 

Queen Bee bared her teeth. “Viperion!” 

She took off running, Ladybug’s plea to wait lost to the wind behind her. On the roof, Fu stood over the three akumatized children, though they were hardly recognizable trapped in a Lucky Charm net and with their skin bruised black in the familiar shade of the Haunted. Viperion stood in front of them, his lyre poised for a Hypnosis attack at a moment’s notice, and Queen Bee saw why. 

Gallina stood on the ledge with her mirror, and she was out for blood. 

“You,” Queen Bee said, advancing. 

All eyes turned to her, and Gallina gaped. “What the—”

“Finish that sentence. I dare you.” Queen Bee flicked her wrist, and her bees reared up, ready to attack Gallina. 

“What’s going on here?!” Ladybug demanded. Chat was at her side. 

“Everyone, please calm down,” Fu said, his voice steady. “This is no time to be losing our heads.”

_I can think of one head in need of losing._

“Viperion, what happened?” Queen Bee said, her eyes never leaving Gallina. 

She could feel his warmth when he stepped closer to her, a balm through the belligerent buzzing in her ears. “Gallina showed up and tried to attack the children. She said there’s no saving them.”

“Because there _isn’t_ ,” Gallina spat. 

Ladybug stepped in front of Queen Bee and Viperion, her yo-yo drawn. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

Gallina sneered. “Yeah, because you’re such a great judge of character, aren’t you?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I means you’re _blind_!”

“They’re _children_!”

“Not anymore, they’re not!”

Queen Bee had had enough. “Bug, say the word and I’ll pluck her feathered ass.”

Ladybug held out her arm, and Queen Bee bit back a curse. But she would not defy Ladybug’s order, at least for now. “I’m this close to letting Queen Bee test her new power on you if you don’t back down, Gallina.”

Gallina snarled in frustration. She jumped down from the ledge and planted her mirror in the cement in direct sight of the Haunted children. “I came here to help because your Guardian asked me to. Tell her, Chat.”

“What is she talking about?” Ladybug demanded, turning on Chat. 

Chat hesitated. “It’s true. I brought Gallina to Master Fu because I thought we could use her help.”

“And I’ve asked Chat Noir to train Gallina so that she will be ready to fight alongside you,” Fu confirmed. “Ladybug, you will need strong allies to combat this threat. There is so much we still do not understand about our enemy—”

“And no one thought to run any of this by me?” Ladybug interrupted. 

“There hasn’t been time to—” Chat started.

“Hasn’t there?”

Ladybug and Chat shared a tense look.

“Maybe this is all a misunderstanding,” Viperion tried.

Ladybug whirled on him. “And you—since when do you have a Miraculous?”

Viperion glanced at Queen Bee, and Ladybug noticed. All of a sudden, Queen Bee was on the business end of Ladybug’s penetrating stare, and it fucking sucked. 

“Bug, I can explain…” 

Ladybug’s earrings gave a warning beep, and Chat’s ring followed soon after. She growled in frustration. “Goddamnit, I need to _think_.”

“There’s nothing to think about,” Gallina said. “I can _see_ them. Those things,” she glared at the Haunted children, “they’re not human. They can’t be saved.”

“You’re wrong. You’re selfish and you’re _wrong_.”

“And you’re a self-righteous jerk, but I’m still here _trying_ to do the right thing!”

“Gallina, that’s enough,” Chat said. 

“You’re damn right it’s enough.” Queen Bee clenched her fist, and her bees circled Gallina. 

Gallina looked at Queen Bee through her mirror properly and balked. “What the hell _are_ you?”

“Come closer and find out.”

“Gallina, the children,” Fu said sternly. “What do you see?” 

Gallina looked between him, Ladybug, and the children. Her eyes flickered to Chat last, as though he held her sway, or perhaps she held his. 

“Nothing,” she said. “There’s nothing in them anymore.”

Could that really be true? Queen Bee looked at the children—Valentin, Marcella, and Théo. They’d had names once, and now… Now all she saw were three blackened gremlins, mindless as they tore at each other and the indestructible Lucky Charm net. They were barely recognizable as human anymore. 

And she knew. 

She knew Gallina was right. 

“My power is Creation,” Ladybug said. “I’ll give them back what they lost.”

“Ladybug,” Fu said, weary. Sad. Afraid. 

Ladybug clutched her yo-yo. Her hands shook with the effort. “Bee, restrain them.”

And she knew, of course. She knew Ladybug wouldn’t quit, never. It was what made her a hero, a leader, an inspiration. Even now, she stood rigidly upright, no weight heavy enough to break her. But Queen Bee wondered how much more weight would be enough to bury her. 

“I’m not sure…” Queen Bee said. 

“Just do it.”

Queen Bee swallowed. She was suddenly so very tired. Viperion’s gaze was heavy on her profile, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him as she waved her hand. 

The Venom bees descended on the Haunted, stinging and poisoning until they lost all will to thrash. They made a pitiful sight piled atop each other, twitching and helpless. Gallina looked away, her jaw set. 

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug threw her Lucky Charm net high in the air and released her Creation magic. Scarlet ladybugs blanketed the hospital, rebuilding what was broken and healing what was hurt. Those blinded by the darkness akuma saw their vision returned to normal. Those burned, charred, and beaten felt their bones mend and their blood clot. All over the hospital, victims awakened from the nightmare, their torment at long last ended. 

All except the Haunted. 

There was nothing left of them to save.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Queen Bee’s god possession mode with all those flaming bees to look a lot like Captain Marvel’s badass power surge. Wouldn’t want to get in her way when she gets going! 
> 
> Shameless plug time! I wrote a one-shot featuring ChloLuka because I couldn’t help myself after their scenes in the last chapter. It is very NSFW in the second half, so be warned if that’s not your style. The fic is called [Midnight Oil](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18983986) and you can find it on my AO3 page or on my Tumblr. Check it out if you like!
> 
> Next time: Idk, probably some Chat/Gallina bonding and training while Marinette ~~moves the plot forward~~ deals with her demons. Maybe more Nathalie getting to the bottom of what's really going on.


	13. To Love Another

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who commented on the last chapter! I got crazy busy at work, among other things, so didn’t get a chance to respond to everyone. But I sincerely appreciate all your continued feedback and enthusiasm. Have an extra long chapter to make up for the wait, and some long overdue romance. Yay!

In the end, her decision was a simple one, just as Kagami had said it would be. The hardest decisions always were once she eliminated the self-aggrandizing indulgence that accompanied them. It kind of felt good, in the way abstaining from a temptation felt good. Cleansing, in a way. Painful, too. But good. Right. 

“This is incredible,” Fu said, swiping through the pictures newly downloaded onto the iPad Adrien had gifted him after the last one was stolen. “You captured so much useful information.”

“My mistress has an eye for value,” Orikko said. 

Dare she say, Lila detected the faintest hint of pride in his usual monotone. She hid a smirk and scratched his crest feathers, just how she knew he liked.

“She does,” Fu readily agreed, distracted as he perused the many photos Lila had snapped of Adrien’s Miraculous Tome. The Pig and Fox Miraculous she’d also handed over sat on the coffee table close by. “This could be immensely helpful. The code is complex, but I was trained in the old ways, and I think I may be able to glean something useful from this. Perhaps it may even aid us in our fight against Hawk Moth and the Haunted.”

Adrien was quiet as he watched them both. Plagg, however, was not. 

“Good. About time something went our way. Hey, Guardian, you think you can translate all that by tonight?” It didn’t sound like a request.

Fu looked grimly determined staring at his new iPad. “Nothing is more important.”

It was very early the morning after the haunted hospital attack, and Paris was in mourning. Lila had barely been able to sleep. Coming here was not so much a decision as an inevitability. She was, however, genuinely surprised when Adrien answered his phone, wide awake well before sunrise, and agreed to meet her at Fu’s place. 

“Then we’ll leave you to it,” Adrien said, rising and setting his now empty teacup on the table. He eyed Lila and Orikko. “You coming?”

Lila supposed there was nothing better to do, so she rose as well. “What exactly do you plan to do?”

He shrugged. “Train you, whatever that means.”

She narrowed here eyes. “Right.”

It was Plagg who got in her face then. “Listen up, Human. You need to learn how to tap in to Intuition’s true power. And with _me_ as your mentor? You’ll do it, or you’ll _really_ die trying—”

Orikko covered Plagg’s mouth with a wing to silence him. “I do not question how you train your Chosen, so please do not question how I train mine.”

Adrien plucked Plagg out of Orikko’s wings by the scruff of his little neck. “Plagg doesn’t train me at all. I’ve had to learn how to be Chat Noir all on my own.”

Plagg batted the air with his paws as he struggled in Adrien’s grasp. “It’s called a paws-off approach, kid! I can’t do the work for you or you’ll never learn.”

“Yeah, but you could give me a little feedback now and then. Insulting me doesn’t count, by the way.”

Plagg grumbled something about humans and their ‘stupid emotions’.

“What do you mean, you learned to be Chat Noir on your own?” Lila asked.

“Just that. Ladybug helped some, of course.” He paused, thoughtful. “Actually, maybe that’s what Master Fu meant…”

Lila narrowed her eyes. “I already told you, I’m not here to get involved with Ladybug or any of the others. I’ll work with you and Master Fu, and that’s it.”

“Sunshine,” Orikko said, a warning. 

“Like it or not, you’ll have to work with them eventually. We’re on the same side. But that’s actually not what I was talking about.”

“Then what?”

He had the strangest, most un-Adrien look on his face as he regarded her with almost cocky knowing. “Back when it was just me and Ladybug, we had to learn to work together in the heat of the moment, or risk losing to the akuma. It was the same when Queen Bee joined us; we had to change up our dynamic to accommodate her being part of the team, and she had to learn how to adapt to us. So you and I should do the same.”

“Meaning what, exactly?”

“Change up our dynamic. You don’t have to like Ladybug, that’s fine. But you have to trust her leadership.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Okay, but do you trust me?”

_No._

Lila hesitated before shutting him down, though. “I don’t trust anyone.”

“Not a single person? Really? Your parents, at least?”

She hadn’t been expecting the question, and her eyes flashed. “I said no one.”

Plagg, now perched on Adrien’s shoulder, watched her suspiciously. Adrien, however, took her answer in stride, as though this were perfectly reasonable. He nodded. 

“All right. Then that’s where we should start. Plagg, Claws out.”

“Wait a min—” 

Plagg was silenced as the Black Cat Miraculous sucked him in, and Chat Noir transformed in a flash of bright green. Lila instinctively took a step back from the violent energy he radiated, gravitational in its pull. Orikko fluttered to perch on her head.

“I’m not asking Lila to trust Adrien,” Chat said, holding his hand out for her. “But maybe we can work on getting Gallina to put a little faith in Chat Noir. What do you say?”

_“What do you suggest when one lacks faith?”_

Lila had not been able to forget her conversation with Kagami yesterday. Their words haunted her every waking moment, had driven her here to Fu’s in the first place.

_“Find something worth fighting for,”_ Kagami had implored her. 

She had picked her side, she supposed. As for something worth fighting for, though… She wondered if, with all her powers of insight, she might get a glimpse of what Chat saw. 

“I say you’ve got your work cut out for you, Kitten.”

Lila smirked when he frowned at that infantilizing nickname. She quickly transformed and sauntered around him, ignoring his offered hand. Mirror slung over her shoulders, she cast a glance back at him. The sun was just starting to breach the horizon, and the sleepy Paris suburb where Fu lived was beginning to wake up. 

“You coming or what?” Gallina said, resting a hand on her feathered bustle. 

Chat’s green eyes seemed to glow in the wan light. “Let’s see how fast you are.”

He took off at a sprint toward the nearest house and leaped to the roof. Gallina dashed after him, determined not to let him get ahead of her. 

* * *

 

Chloe was warm and heavy as she lay on her side in bed. In that liminal state between sleep and waking, she lingered, savoring the weightless semi-awareness. It was peaceful here, the exhaustion of her body and soul far and away as she drifted. 

Sunlight in her windows told her it was morning, told her it was time to get up, but it was so nice here, and she was so tired. She pressed her nose to her pillow and held it closer to her chest, savoring this small comfort.

The pillow responded by pulling her closer. Its gentle breathing tickled her hair with a sigh. Chloe hummed in pleasure as she inhaled its calming, masculine scent. 

_Wait, what?_

She tensed, slowly pulling out of sleep’s lethargy. That pillow she was pressed against was too firm to be one of her goose down throws. Her pillows also didn’t wear Pink Floyd T-shirts. Very much awake and aware now, Chloe shifted her gaze up and up…

…only to find that yes, that was Luka she was clutching like an oversized Mr. Cuddles. Mortified, she froze, completely at a loss for what to do. Unfortunately, all her squirming roused him. 

“Five more minutes,” he murmured against her hair. 

Chloe eeped when he tightened his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. It was too much to bear, and she launched back. Luka’s eyes flew open and, disoriented, he sat up too fast and they ended up knocking heads. 

“Ow, shit!” Chloe swore, clutching her abused forehead. 

Luka hissed in pain and covered his nose. “That’s my line.”

They were in yesterday’s clothes having passed out on Chloe’s queen-sized bed, too tired even to pull back the comforter. Chloe tried to piece together how they had ended up here in _bed_ , of all the ridiculous things, but Luka’s obvious pain distracted her. 

“Come on, let me see it,” she said impatiently, making a grab for his hand. 

He eyed her suspiciously for a second, but soon relented. It didn’t look broken, and it wasn’t bleeding. She ran her finger over the bridge, leaning in close to see if there was any superficial damage. 

“Good news, you’ll live,” she deadpanned. 

“I don’t know, you have a titanium forehead. You sure there’s no internal bleeding?”

Chloe narrowed her eyes and tried to swat him, but he caught her wrist, anticipating this. “Hey, my forehead is gorgeous and perfect, I’ll have you know.”

He grinned. “I know, just teasing. Ow…” He winced and rubbed his nose gingerly. 

“Oh no, Luka! Are you okay?” Pollen came buzzing in from among the many flowers in Chloe’s windows.

“He’s fine, Majessssssty.” Sass poked his head out from under one of the many pillows surrounding Chloe and Luka on the bed. “Merely a lovers’ quarrel.”

Chloe flushed and shot Sass a nasty glare. “Watch it, you worm.”

Sass flared his hood. “I am no filth-eating _worm_ , Human.”

“I have something that’ll cheer you right up!” Pollen exclaimed. “I’ve been working on it really hard for weeks!”

Chloe was more concerned about the snake in her bed. “You, _up_.” She scooped Sass up and handed him to Luka. 

“You were happy to welcome us into your bed last night,” Sass taunted. If snakes could smile, he would have been grinning from ear to ear. 

“Sass, leave her alone, please,” Luka said. He let Sass slither to his usual perch around his neck. 

Groaning, Chloe recalled the frantic events of the previous night’s attack on the hospital and the chaotic aftermath that dragged on almost until morning. Somehow between Queen Bee’s Venom, Viperion’s strategically-executed Hypnosis, and Ladybug’s unquestioning authority managing both them and the unprepared police force, they had managed to corral all the captured Haunted victims into holding cells at the police station. There they would remain until something could be done to cure them, or until they expired. It was dreadful work, but at least now they could not harm anyone else. 

_For now._

Luka misunderstood Chloe’s grim expression. “Hey, I’m sorry, Chloe. He didn’t mean to upset you. Neither of us did.”

He shifted closer to her on the bed and brushed her bangs from her abused forehead in a silent apology.

“It’s not that. I was thinking about last night, how we ended up here.”

Exhausted and pushed past her limit, Chloe had reverted almost immediately after releasing Venom. Pollen was out cold, and Chloe had barely been able to stand, let alone make her way home safely. Viperion carried her back, barely making it through her window himself due to his own exhaustion. Two transformations in one night on his first run had taken a toll on him. Chloe didn’t remember much beyond that, but it wasn’t hard to fill in the gaps considering how they had woken up tangled together. 

Luka let his hand drop abruptly. “Nothing happened. I wouldn’t—not that I could have with how exhausted I was, we both were—but I would never—”

Chloe looked up at him in shock. “What? No, I didn’t mean—of course I know you would never. It’s not like you have a death wish.”

He relaxed a little and offered a knowing smile. “No, but you have this way of making we want to live a little dangerously, if I’m being honest.”

Chloe’s ears grew warm at his unabashed flirting. No matter what she did, she couldn’t seem to scare him off. His easy acceptance of his feelings was as foreign to her as it was flooring. 

“You can’t just say that while we’re in a bed together,” she said. 

He smiled wider and leaned closer. His hand on her thigh was warm and tempting. “Why not? It’s the truth.”

Chloe’s heart raced reading the look in his eyes, playful but indeed true. He didn’t approach her further, letting it hang there between them. Whatever _it_ was. Unconsciously, Chloe bit her lip, and his eyes were drawn to the movement.

Something in the air shifted. 

He looked up at her through his lashes once more, no longer playful. “Chloe.”

She bit her lip harder to stop the insane urge to whimper at the sound of her name in his voice like that. Lunacy, that. And yet she could not help herself. He was so close, if only she leaned in a bit more. 

A knock on her door startled them both so badly that Chloe literally fell off the edge of the bed. Sass wheezed with laughter, while Luka swore and tried to grab her, but he was too slow and she landed harmlessly on a couple pillows that fell with her. Pollen zipped to her side. 

“Sweetness, are you okay?”

“Miss Chloe?” Jean the butler said from the other side of the door. “Are you all right? I came to bring you something to eat since you were not at breakfast this morning.”

Chloe paled. Luka stared back at her, wide-eyed in understanding. He could _not_ be seen having spent the night _in her bed_ no matter how innocent it had been.

“I-I’m fine!” Chloe said, scrambling to her feet just as Luka launched himself from the bed. “I’m just, uh, changing!”

“I heard voices. Is someone with you?” Jean asked. 

“What? Don’t be ridiculous! It’s just the TV.”

Luka was looking for his hoodie when Chloe grabbed him by his shirt front and yanked him down to her eye level to whisper, “Get out. _Now_. Or we’re both dead.”

He looked down at her and smirked. “Fangs out.” 

Viperion transformed in a flash of blue, and Chloe’s fingers now clutched at the steel-hard scales armoring his chest. He had the gall to press his forehead to hers so their noses brushed. “Sure thing, my queen.”

Chloe shivered at the sensation of his warm breath upon her lips, his fingers ghosting the small of her back like they had last night when they were alone in this very room. His armor was cold to the touch, like pressing against an iron wall, and Chloe grew lightheaded with the maddening desire to feel more of him. 

“What was that light?” Jean asked, his tone growing concerned. “Are you sure you’re all right? I’m coming in.”

The spell was broken as once again Chloe launched herself out of Viperion’s arms. “You can’t! I’m naked!”

Jean seemed to lose his grip on the breakfast tray he was carrying as he faltered, and behind her Viperion chuckled softly. Chloe whirled, intending to physically shove him out the window if he didn’t hurry the fuck up, only to find him perched on the sill. Behind his domino mask, his silver, reptilian eyes twinkled with mirth and lingering desire. 

“Hold that thought,” he said. 

He was gone before Chloe could get out a nasty retort at his cheekiness (or pull him back to her and kiss him until he forgot his own name). Pollen snickered, but she shut up and made herself scarce when Chloe shot her a warning glare and marched to the door. On the other side, Jean looked more frazzled than she was. They stared at each other a moment. 

“Miss Chloe…weren’t you wearing that DKNY blouse yesterday?” 

Chloe’s eye twitched. She eyed the tray of breakfast foods Jean held and snatched it from him. “Yes, I was.”

Without another word, she slammed the door in Jean’s face and locked it for good measure. 

Thank god school was canceled for the rest of the week while Paris recovered from last night’s attack, or Chloe might actually murder someone today.

* * *

 

Spending the day with Gallina turned out to be the welcome distraction Chat didn’t know he needed. After racing halfway across the city, they both agreed that yes, Chat was clearly the speed demon of the two and there was no point in trying to compete. A brief scuffle on the roof of a high-rise downtown pitted Chat’s adapted fencing skills against Gallina’s shield work, at which point he learned that he was not going to hit her easily. 

“How did you learn to wield that thing, anyway?” he demanded when they parted, panting to catch his breath. 

Gallina shot him a cold glare. “You think I squandered all this time sleeping in watching TV? Orikko and I practice every day.”

“To be what, a Viking shield maiden?”

Gallina lunged at him again, and he was forced to dodge or suffer a beating. “I told you, I don’t need a team to be strong.”

Chat growled when her mirror grazed his shoulder painfully, and he shot out with his feet to trip her. Gallina lost her footing trying to avoid him, opening herself to a hit from his staff that he pulled to spare her the pain. On one knee before him, she glared fiercely back at him over her shoulder. 

“And I told _you_ , none of us can do this alone. So let’s not.” He released her so she could stand. “Besides, I have a five star rating in the Best Partner category.”

“That doesn’t sound right at all. Who do I submit my feedback to?”

He chuckled and rested his hands on his hips. “Sorry, we’re no longer taking submissions. But stick around a while and maybe I’ll make and _egg-_ ception for you.”

Gallina gaped at him almost comically. “Did you just _chicken pun_ at me?”

Chat puffed out his chest. He had the most intense urge to strut all of a sudden. “What if I did?”

“Then you would not live to see your next birthday, you moron.”

“Someone’s feeling _cocky_ , huh?”

“Chat, I will literally murder you where you stand.”

He mimed making a phone call with his thumb and pinky. “Hello, Mr. Agreste? We regret to inform you that your son’s untimely death may be the result of _fowl_ play.”

Gallina tried to punch him, but he burst out laughing and parried her attack. “Hold still while I shave off three or four of your remaining lives!”

Chat continued to laugh as they exchanged blows, his heart not really in it, but it was his mistake when she landed a hard kick to his solar plexus. Gagging, he doubled over and coughed. Gallina towered over him. 

“Pun at me again, clown. I dare you.”

For a second, Chat wondered if he’d truly upset her. But looking up at her, he detected the hint of a smile. “Nah, my luck’s bad enough as it is.”

She gave him a hand up and he dusted himself off. She watched him curiously, the ghost of a smile still lingering. He put all his energy into keeping his face completely neutral. 

“But maybe I’ll _poul_ -try again later—”

He barely finished his sentence before she flew at him again. He howled with laughter as he tried to avoid her flying fists, and she threatened to skin his cat suit with a rusty knife. But the smile didn’t leave her face as they chased each other around the roof for the next ten minutes.

* * *

 

Marinette’s morning was off to a much rockier start when she arrived home just after sunrise, fell into bed, and not ten minutes later was awakened by her very surprised mother. Half conscious, Marinette had a hard time processing that Sabine was worried sick about her. There was another akuma attack last night near Alya’s home, didn’t she know? Where had she been? Her parents had tried calling her, Alya, and Alya’s whole family, but when they got ahold of Otis finally, the man had completely forgotten that Marinette was spending the night at their home. They had their hands full getting help for Etta and Ella, who were both in a supernatural coma after their nightmare possession. 

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Marinette said, stifling a yawn. “I should’ve called.”

Sabine was having none of it. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in? I was worried out of my mind!”

“I know, and I’m really sor—”

“I don’t care that you’re sorry!” Sabine pulled her into a fierce hug, and Marinette’s heart broke when she burst into tears. “I thought you were hurt, or worse! Can’t you understand that?”

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and let her mother hold her, so tired. She’d been strong and solid all night, and she couldn’t keep it up anymore. Boneless, she slumped against Sabine and sobbed. 

“Oh, Marinette,” Sabine said, smoothing her daughter’s tangled hair. “I’m sorry, too. I’m just relieved that you’re home safe.”

“Me too, Mom.” Marinette choked on her tears and held her mother so tightly it was a wonder Sabine hadn’t protested. Instead, she only held Marinette closer and ran her fingers through the knots in her hair. 

“I’m going to tell your father you’re home safely,” Sabine said after a few minutes. “I’m sure he’ll want to have a talk with you later. School may be canceled the rest of the week after those horrible attacks at the hospital, but you don’t get a vacation from being our daughter, understand?”

Marinette nodded. “I understand.” 

“Poor Marlena and Otis. They must be out of their minds sick with worry about Etta and Ella.”

They parted, and Marinette saw the lines of concern and sadness on Sabine’s youthful face. She took her mother’s hands in hers. “They’ll pull through. Those two are stronger than they look.”

“I sure hope so. I can’t imagine what they must be going through. It’s lucky that Ladybug and Chat Noir were there to help.”

Marinette said nothing to that, and Sabine mistook her silence for apprehension.

Sabine sighed, and when she spoke next it was more gently. “Don’t worry, love. Everything will be all right. As long as Ladybug is on the job, everything will be well in the end, you’ll see.”

Marinette’s grip on her mother’s hands tightened. “What if she can’t? Make it right, I mean.”

Sabine smoothed Marinette’s bangs behind her ear. “Of course she will. She always does. She’s Paris’ beloved hero, and everyone is depending on her.”

“But what if she can’t? What if…”

_“Fear lives inside you now,”_ whispered Etta’s possessed voiced, insidious under her skin. 

“Marinette—”

“What if she’s afraid?” Marinette blurted out.

Sabine’s smile was kind and understanding. She brought Marinette’s knuckles up for a loving kiss. “I’m sure she is. We all are. But Ladybug represents the people’s hope. She won’t let us down. She never has before.”

Marinette bit her tongue and forced herself to nod. 

“All right, honey. I have to go help your father, but I’m serious about that talk later, all right?”

Sabine left her alone, and Marinette got back under the covers, trembling a little. 

“Marinette? Are you okay?” Tikki asked. 

“Just tired.” 

Tikki watched her carefully. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Did she want to talk about what? The people who had died last night? Almost losing Etta and Ella on her watch? Or perhaps the droves of Haunted that now packed the holding cells and penitentiaries like caged animals with nowhere to go and no way to return to normal? It had been easy to take charge after the attacks, easy to dole out orders to Viperion and Queen Bee and the police. Ladybug was good at that sort of thing. 

But Marinette…

Marinette was tired. And she was afraid. 

She squeezed her eyes shut. “I just want to sleep, Tikki. Please.”

Tikki relented, but she perched on the pillow next to Marinette’s face, her presence a meager but much appreciated comfort. “All right.” Tikki touched Marinette’s nose and sent a pulse of warm, bright magic through her. 

Marinette succumbed to a deep sleep soon after.

* * *

 

“Cataclysm!” 

Gallina observed from a safe distance as Chat Noir cast his ultimate spell. Dark magic bubbled in his hand, deadly to the touch, but through the mystical lens of her mirror, she saw it was more than that. Veins of magic coursed through his body with terrifying potency just beneath the skin, though it only manifested outwardly in his right hand. The shadow of his magic rose off him like smoke, invisible to the naked eye, and warped his features to something decidedly less than human. Or, perhaps, more. 

“What do you see?” he asked. 

She shook her head. “It’s hard to describe.”

“Is it like what you saw with Queen Bee last night?”

“No.” Gallina set her jaw thinking of that vision. Queen Bee had been colossal reflected back in the mirror. The Venom bees cast a shadow behind her that loomed, eldritch and unknowable. Instinctively, Gallina knew she was not looking at a girl in a mask, but at the avatar of a god walking among humans. Somehow, Queen Bee had tapped into that power and made it her own, but how? “No,” she said again. “That was different.”

“Oh, okay.”

He walked across the junkyard they’d landed in and approached a stack of crushed, old cars. When he moved his devouring hand, the air around it seemed to collapse around it, as though crushed. And in his wake, he drew a trail of ruin, shadows that manifested in the air out of nothing at all, as though his very passing tore at the seams of reality and threatened to rip it open. 

Cataclysm ruined the stack of cars he’d selected, dissolving them into ashes that disintegrated into nothing at all to the naked eye, but Gallina’s mirror painted a different picture. In it, she saw the twisted metal and broken glass collapse into a hole so black and so deep it seemed to have no bottom. Like jaws, the darkness opened wide to swallow whole whatever Chat touched until there was nothing left of it. Not even light could escape Cataclysm’s hungry maw. 

Chat’s ring beeped a warning as his countdown began. “Well, I guess that means I’m way behind Queen Bee now, huh? Gotta work harder.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” Gallina said. “You have the power, but you’re just not using it.”

He looked at her funny. “What do you mean?”

“I can see it, Cataclysm’s true form. You have it in you, but you’re not releasing it. I don’t know how else to tell you.”

“Oh. Well…huh.”

Gallina got up and stretched. “Anyway, it’s my turn, so close your eyes if you don’t want me to burn them out of their sockets.”

Chat crossed his arms and leaned casually against a tall tower of piled cars. “Hey, that reminds me. Plagg said something about how you weren’t using Solar Flare quite right. Is that true?”

Gallina glanced at him askance. She’d asked Orikko the same thing after that first conversation at Fu’s place, but as usual he was cryptic and weird about it. 

_“Intuition cannot be learned, only awakened,”_ he’d told her. 

“Gallina?” Chat cocked his head in question. 

She rolled her eyes. “Apparently, I see things others can’t, but only because I’m choosing to. There are other angles.”

“Like a prism?”

“What?”

“You know, like how a prism refracts light into the seven colors. Change the angle, and you see something different.”

“That’s…completely unhelpful. My eyes aren’t like prisms. I can’t just change what I see.”

Her acerbic tone didn’t faze him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Gallina held up her mirror, but her reflection showed her nothing of what she’d seen in Chat when he summoned his power. She frowned. What was she expecting to see, anyway? 

_Whatever._

She aimed her mirror at a pile of trashed cars and summoned her power with a magic word. The Solar Flare was blindingly bright even against the midday sun, and she relished the heat engorging her veins, as if she held the power of the sun itself in her palm. It was over in a flash, and when her vision cleared, the junk pile was nothing but a blackened, misshapen mass of melted metal. 

“Well, I’d say whatever angle you’re using is definitely doing something right, at least,” Chat said, joining her. 

Gallina said nothing as she examined the smoking junk through her mirror. Veins of light coursed through the metal for her eyes only, but they quickly faded as her power died down. “I guess.”

But in truth, she knew there was something she was missing. Maybe Plagg had a point, much as it pained her to entertain the thought.

Their Miraculous counted down, and soon they reverted back to their civilian forms. Adrien checked his phone for messages, so Lila did the same. Two missed calls from Kagami and one from her home’s landline, as well as a single text from Kagami that read:

[Kagami: We need to talk.]

Lila cringed at those clichéd words.

“Are you going to call her back?” Orikko asked discreetly while Adrien was distracted texting. 

Why should she? It wasn’t like she owed Kagami anything. Then again, a single text in the middle of the night after running out on Kagami last night wasn’t going to cut it. It was stupid, but an annoying part of her nagged her to give Kagami a better answer than that. 

“Hey, I’m going to stop by Marinette’s. Want to meet back up at Master Fu’s place after lunch?” Adrien asked. 

Lila tensed. “Marinette?”

Adrien smiled casually. “Yeah, we’re uh… Well, she had a rough night, so I wanted to check on her.”

Lila was instantly suspicious. “I thought you were in love with Ladybug. Getting cold feet?”

Adrien’s smile fell. “What’s wrong with me checking in on a friend?”

Lila studied him. He had clammed up and put on the Adrien Agreste mask she was so used to seeing at school. As Chat Noir, he was an open book and happy to indulge whim and whimsy, but now…

She decided not to press him. It felt wrong to ruin the sort of nice morning they’d had, shitty puns and all. “Nothing. I need to go see Kagami anyway, so it’s perfect. I’ll see you back at Master Fu’s.”

Adrien’s eyes went wide. “Kagami? I know she helped us against the wolves, but I didn’t think you guys were all that close.”

“We’re not.”

_And it’s none of your business, anyway._

Adrien took the hint in stride, sort of. “Okay. Don’t let me keep you.”

“You’re not keeping me from anything. Like I said, we’re not that close.”

He just smiled. “Sure, if you say so. Hey, you want to split an Uber?”

Lila was about to say that no, she absolutely did _not_ want to split anything with him, but Orikko was hungry and she didn’t feel like running across the city on sore feet. 

“Oh, come on. There’s plenty of Ubers in this city that you don’t have to share!” Plagg complained. 

“I’d love to,” Lila said readily, smiling as she locked eyes with Plagg. 

“Great! It’s fine, Plagg. I packed your cheese, so calm down already…”

* * *

 

Marinette knew she was dreaming. 

She wasn’t one for lucid dreaming as far as she knew, but she knew she hadn’t left her bed all morning, so this had to be a dream. A memory. 

_I remember this._

“No, I don’t.” 

Her voice was far and away to her ears as she looked out over the Dupont High schoolyard. She recognized a few classmates and other familiar faces lounging on the green and hanging out with friends. It was a nice day, a peaceful day, but something about it was off. 

A crash from the building startled her, and suddenly people were running and screaming. She saw Rose and Juleka scrambling to get away and Nino ushering them along, but he didn’t make it when the ground opened up and swallowed him in crystal. 

“Nino!!” Marinette screamed. 

But he was trapped inside a quartz prison, unable to hear her or reach her as he pounded on the impenetrable walls. Others were similarly sucked under and imprisoned, helpless to escape or fight back. Marinette called for Tikki to help her transform, but Tikki wasn’t there. It was only her and her terrified classmates.

“Nathaniel, look out!” Marinette dashed to push him out of the way. He saw her coming and yelped. 

“Help me!”

He ran and Marinette followed, hoping to avoid the ravenous crystals as well, but the ground opened in front of her and caught Nathaniel before he could flee. She skidded to a halt and stared in horror at his trapped form in the rock. 

“Marinette!” shouted Alya nearby. 

“Alya, get out of here! It’s not safe!” 

She tried to get to Alya, who was hiding behind a mail box, but she was stopped by Chloe. 

“Marinette, stop!” Chloe said. 

“What’re you—why aren’t you transformed?! You have to help them!”

“Marinette, please!” Alya said.

“Please,” Chloe repeated, tightening her grip on Marinette’s shirt. 

Marinette didn’t understand. Why was Chloe in her way? She had to help Alya!

Someone screamed behind her, and Marinette turned to find Lila struggling to run after she’d tripped on the churned up asphalt. At the sight of her, Marinette saw red. 

“You,” she spat. 

Chloe yanked her back. “Marinette, I know you can hear me!”

But Marinette didn’t hear her as she tore after Lila with a will she did not quite recognize but didn’t question. 

_“You’re alienating your friends all on your own,”_ she heard Lila’s poisonous voice taunting her. 

Chloe tried to stop Marinette, but she pushed her roughly away onto the ground. 

Running now, running like her life depended on it. It was a dream, yes, just a dream. It didn’t matter, except just the sight of Lila boiled her blood and ignited her pain. 

“Marinette, don’t do this—”

She barely cast Adrien a glance before shoving him out of her way, too. Lila was just ahead. 

_“I just want to see the look on your face when you realize you have nothing, and I have everything.”_

“Wait, don’t!” Lila cried pathetically. 

Marinette loomed over her, and the ground shattered at her feet. She brought her hands down on Lila, hands that shimmered like cracked prisms in the sun. “I won’t let you get away with it,” she snarled in a hollow voice she barely recognized. 

Lila cried, her tears ugly and pathetic and her neck a fleshy, fragile thing in Marinette’s crystalline hands. “Please,” she begged like a dog.

“Please!” Alya screamed. 

Marinette looked at her best friend who dared to come between her and her prey, and she froze at her reflection in Alya’s glasses. Grey-skinned and shimmering, she was not herself at all, but a nightmare made real. 

“Do it,” Lila said, now impossibly calm and speaking even as Marinette squeezed the life out of her. “You know you want to.”

Watching her, all of them. 

Their eyes. 

Alya, and Nino, and Chloe. 

And Adrien, too. 

“Do it,” Adrien said, his hand on her shoulder, his fingers gloved in purple and his sinister voice in her ear, crooning. “You know you want to.”

But it wasn’t Adrien at her side egging her on; it was a shadow of a man far too tall and looming and dark, his blue eyes soulless and piercing as he urged her on, weighed her down, and never backed down. 

_Do it,_ he said. _Do it,_ Fortuna _. Give in to your fear._

Marinette screamed and woke with a start. 

* * *

 

Luka was relieved to know that work had been canceled this morning in light of the terrible events of the night previous. His boss’s cousin had been a patient at the haunted hospital and was now in bad shape having sustained injury in the attack, but he was alive and healthy. Anarka hadn’t questioned him when he rolled in that morning after running back from Chloe’s, knowing he was not a child anymore and could be trusted to keep his own hours and manage his own private life. Juleka gave him the Look, but she remained tactfully uninterested. 

Until, that is, Chloe’s butler Jean arrived with a special delivery: a brand new iPhone. It had Chloe’s number pre-programmed into the Contacts. “Miss Chloe requests your presence back at Chateau Bourgeois.”

Luka tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but Juleka was not letting him off so easy. “ _Miss Chloe_ requests your presence? So this morning’s walk of shame was because of her?”

“Of course not,” Luka said as he tried to gather his things as quickly as possible.

Juleka snorted. “Good, because she’s the spawn of Satan and Paris Hilton on a good day.”

“She’s not. Don’t talk about her like that.”

He hadn’t meant to get defensive, and unfortunately Juleka noticed. “Oh?”

Luka sighed, exasperated. “Forget it. I have to go.”

Juleka grabbed his arm before he could dash away. “Hey, I’m sorry. I take it back. I didn’t realize you’d gotten so close.”

“Well, we have. She’s…” He rubbed his tired face. “She’s rough around the edges, but she’s a good person. Really good.”

Juleka studied him with a severity that would have made him shrink from her if he didn’t know it was just her manner. “That’s a big deal coming from you. Do I need to read her her rights?”

Luka chuckled, bemused. “She’s not taking advantage of me, Jules. I like her, plain and simple.”

She didn’t smile as she watched him like a hawk. “Right, sure. I won’t stand in your way, then.”

She left him to finish gathering his things, and Sass poked his head out of Luka’s collar. “Bold as a tiger, your sisssssster,” he wheezed, amused. 

“You have no idea.”

Settled in the back seat of the black sedan with Jean driving and listening to soft music, Luka sat back and watched the city pass him by. Softly so that Jean would not overhear, he asked Sass about the Haunted. 

“Do you think there’s a way to save them?”

“I’m not sure. But they are foul creaturesssssss, the Haunted. I smell death on them, and desssssspair. What is there to save?”

Luka clenched his fists. “But they’re people. Human beings. They didn’t ask for this.”

“Those who sssssssuffer seldom do.”

The way he spoke was tired, almost melancholy, as though he was remembering something. 

“You’ve seen this before?” Luka questioned. 

Sass bumped his hooded head to Luka’s chin, almost affectionate. “Time goes on, monarchssssss rise and fall, and you humans write your histories. But the suffering always remainsssss.”

“Then I’ll change it,” he said without thinking. “We all will.”

Sass tasted the air with his tongue and bent to look directly at Luka. “I have sssssseen this world’s beginning and its end. You cannot change what is meant to passsssssss.”

“Does it end tomorrow? The world.”

Sass cocked his head. “No.”

Luka nodded. He recalled throwing himself at the killer clown when he thought all hope was lost, when he thought for sure he would die there, and how he’d resolved not to go without giving everything he had to fight it if it meant saving even one more innocent life. “Then there’s time, isn’t there? Maybe I can’t change the fate of the world, but I can change the things right in front of me. I have to try.”

“You would take fate into your own handssssss?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t you?”

Sass was quiet a while as he curled closely around Luka’s neck. At length he said very softly, “Perhapsssssss you have a point, Human Luka.”

He smiled and patted Sass’ broad head. “It’s just Luka.”

Jean pulled into the the Bourgeois driveway, and Luka thanked him for the ride. A very handsome woman in a stylish jumpsuit was standing over the dining room table shouting on the phone to someone, and she didn’t even notice Luka passing through. He made his way upstairs to Chloe’s bedroom, and she all but yanked him in before he had a chance to knock. She locked the door behind them. 

“Everything okay, Chloe?” he asked when he noticed her pressing her ear to the door listening for movement. 

“No, my mom’s on the warpath. She got home two hours ago and it’s been constant shouting at designers and incompetent employees.” Chloe whirled on him. “She didn’t see you, did she?”

“I think she was a little too distracted to notice me.” 

Chloe visibly relaxed. “Thank god. If you’re lucky, you’ll never have to meet her.”

Luka wanted to ask her more, recalling how she’d come to him early on in their acquaintance because he was one of four people in the world she thought she could talk to. Her mother had not made that list. But he sensed that now was not the best time to raise the issue with everything else going on. 

“I got your present. You didn’t have to do that.” He showed her his new iPhone. 

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I did since you obviously weren’t going to do it. Besides, now I won’t have to worry about you ghosting me anymore.”

“I would never intentionally ghost you.” He approached her slowly until they were less than an arm’s length apart. “I’m really sorry it seemed like I did before.”

She looked at him with an expression he could not read, only it made him want to reach for her. “I know you wouldn’t.”

He smiled at her small offering of trust, knowing how rare, how secretly precious it was coming from her. “Hey.” He moved slowly so she could escape his touch if she chose. She didn’t, and looped his fingers in her long, blonde hair. “You changed your hair.”

“It’s just down because I showered earlier.”

He brought a lock of gold to his nose and inhaled. Chloe watched him with parted lips, too stunned to tell him off and too drawn in to want to. 

“Chloe,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. “I really, really want to kiss you.”

Her fingers found the front of his hoodie. “Yeah?”

She was so close he could almost taste her, but there was something else, too. Something in her voice, the way she hovered, as if to prolong the moment. Luka dragged his fingers over her hip to settle at her waist. 

“I’ve wanted to since the Music Store,” he said, indulging her. “And then when I found out you’re Queen Bee…” He laughed softly against the shell of her ear, relishing in how she tensed in his arms and dug her fingers into his shirtfront. “I think you’re extraordinary.”

“Is that all?” 

He could hear the smile in her soft voice, the need in her short, warm breaths that fanned his neck, and it was almost too much. He pressed a kiss to her jaw just below her ear. 

“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

She bit back a whimper and shivered in his arms. He held her closer and pressed another kiss to her temple. 

“And the strongest person I know.”

Her hands moved to his shoulders and held on tight. He pulled back so he could look her in those stunning blue eyes. 

“You don’t know me very well,” she said, breathless. 

He smiled, overwhelmed with emotions he wasn’t sure he understood but that he had every intention of following faithfully to the end, wherever it led him. “So let me know you.”

Chloe gasped softly against him as he finally kissed her, like she couldn’t quite believe it was happening, and he took his chance to deepen it further. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer, and he smiled into their kiss. It was sensuous and slow, and she invaded his every sense until he could think of nothing but her touch, her heady taste, the scent of her vanilla shampoo, the little moan she made when he ran his tongue over her lip and how she bit his lip back in retribution. 

Luka felt his desire for her spike at the strange pleasure-pain sensation, and he groaned, backing her up to the desk. They jostled it in their haste, and he had every intention of lifting her up onto it when an angry buzzing came between them. 

“Watch out or you’ll break it!!” Pollen screeched. 

Sass, who had surreptitiously slithered out of Luka’s collar before his intimacy with Chloe began, was suddenly wrapped around a glass vile of what looked like liquid gold. He’d caught it before it could topple over and shatter. 

“Relax, Majessssssty. I won’t allow your hard work to go to wassssssste.”

The moment ruined, Luka couldn’t help an uncharacteristic, if brief, resentment for their kwamis. Chloe steadied a hand on Luka’s shoulder and gently pushed him back enough to let her stand free of the desk. 

“Damnit, Pollen, I told you put that away in a drawer or something so this wouldn’t happen,” Chloe said, frustrated. 

She looked back at Luka, and he was extremely pleased to see the lingering heat in her eyes. Emboldened, he pressed a quick, chaste kiss to her lips, a promise for later. 

“Sorry, we’ll be more careful next time,” he said.

“You better be! This is my precious honey. You can’t just DoorDash more, you know!” Pollen pouted.

Chloe held out her hand for Pollen and scratched her head. 

“Honey?” Luka asked, reaching for the vial and Sass still curled around it. “Looks like molten gold to me. What does it do?”

“What _doesn’t_ it do?” Pollen puffed her little chest out.

“Apparently, it’s essence of Pollen,” Chloe said. “Literal liquid courage. She’s been working on it for weeks.”

“Wow, really? That’s pretty incredible.”

“Duh!” Pollen said. “Have you even met me?”

“Abssssssolutely,” Sass said, abandoning the bottle to curl around Pollen.

Chloe’s eye twitched. “Okay, you two, break it up. We don’t have time for your flirting.”

“Well, well! Ssssssomeone’s a hypocrite.” Sass stuck his tongue out at her.

Chloe’s jaw dropped, and Luka immediately caught her by the waist and pulled her back before she could do something they would both regret. 

“And on that note,” Luka said, a warning in his tone as he looked at his kwami. 

“Ugh, whatever. You’re _so_ not worth it.” Chloe snatched the vial from Luka and tossed it in her bag, which he only now noticed was also packed up with the three Miraculous they had recovered. “Anyway, we need to go. Master Fu’ll want these Miraculous back, and it’s time you met Ladybug and Chat Noir properly. Get your shit and let’s go.”

Meet Ladybug and Chat Noir? He was going to find out their identities? Luka had never been too interested in the mystery behind the masked duo, content with the fact that they existed to keep Paris safe. But now knowing that Chloe was Queen Bee, he had to admit he was curious about the others, too. And judging from the way Ladybug had been so familiar with him last night, something told him she knew him outside the mask already. 

“Lead the way,” he said.

* * *

 

Adrien received a warm welcome at the Dupain bakery after dropping Lila back at her place. Sabine and Tom were relieved to see him looking well despite last night’s harrowing attacks and the toll they were taking on everyone. They sent him upstairs to Marinette’s room with lunch for them both. 

She was at her computer scrolling through a Google search when he poked his head through the door. “Hey, Marinette.”

Marinette, sporting comfortable leggings and a baggy Jagged Stone T-shirt, leaped out of her chair. “Adrien!”

He nearly dropped the tray of food he was carrying to catch her when she threw herself against him. “Whoa, hey…”

She was clutching his neck almost uncomfortably close. Adrien set down the tray of food on her desk and wrapped his arms around her. Her hair was loose and long in his fingers, and she smelled like shampoo. 

“Hey,” he said again. “How’s my favorite lady holding up?”

She tensed against him, and he fought the urge to bury his nose in her neck and kiss her. Knowing she was Ladybug, and knowing they were on trusting terms again, it was difficult to resist her. 

“I’m fine,” she said in a tone that was decidedly not fine.

He pulled back to look her in the eye. “It’s okay if you’re not. I’m not.”

Marinette blinked. “I’m so sorry, I meant to ask. How’s your mom?”

Adrien rubbed her back as much for his own comfort as for hers. “Stable. I got Nathalie and her home, and Nathalie somehow got people to come out in the middle of the night to help get her set up at home. I stayed with her most of the night, but…”

_But my dad never even checked in on her._

“But what?” Marinette pressed. 

Adrien smiled wanly. “Nothing, it’s fine.”

She peered at him in a very no-nonsense manner that was so quintessentially Ladybug he could have laughed. Truly, he couldn’t believe how easy it was to see Ladybug in Marinette now that he knew the truth. He wondered why he hadn’t seen it before given how similar they were. “I thought we were done not talking to each other, so tell me what’s really bothering you.”

_Got me there._

“Okay, but only if you tell me what’s really bothering you, too. I can tell you’re far from fine, so don’t try to hide it.”

Marinette bit her lip, and Adrien had the sudden urge to bite it, too. He grew warm at the thought. She was upset, clearly, and he had no business thinking about her like that at a time like this…

“I had a nightmare,” she said.

“What, just now?”

She nodded. “About when I was akumatized.”

“I thought you didn’t remember any of that.”

“So did I, but…yeah.”

He took her chin in hand and looked her left and right. “Well, you don’t look akumatized to me. No creepy black veins like the Haunted, either.”

She pulled away from him and retreated to her bed. “I know it’s dumb.”

“It’s not dumb at all. Hey.” He grabbed her hand. “Listen, it’s not dumb. You’re not dumb. We went though a horrible ordeal and we’re trying to process it. I’m not surprised you’re having nightmares.”

She didn’t look convinced. “You seem to be holding up okay.”

“Nah, I’m just used to it.”

The way she stared at him oddly made him realize he’d said the wrong thing. 

“Well, it’s true,” Plagg said, floating out of Adrien’s shirt pocket. “Nothin’ new about dear old dad ignoring you.”

Tikki poked her head out of Marinette’s oversized T-shirt. “What happened with your father, Adrien?”

“Honestly, nothing at all. He didn’t even show up when we were getting my mom settled, just stayed locked in his office all night.”

_As usual._

It shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did. He was used to this behavior from Gabriel, but this was Emilie they were talking about. She had always been the exception to Gabriel’s ironclad rules, except last night. Nathalie insisted he was indisposed and that Adrien was not to go looking for him under any circumstances, but Adrien couldn’t help but feel hurt all the same. 

Marinette took his hands in hers and stepped close enough that she had to look up at him. “Well, I’m here for you, _Chaton_. I always will be.”

He smiled and squeezed her hands back. “I know you are. That means a lot to me, Marinette. Thank you.”

She nodded toward the tray he’d brought. “Is that for me?”

They shared lunch in her room after that, and Plagg and Tikki got their fill, as well. Conversation shifted to lighter topics for a little while, but eventually Adrien told her about Gallina’s help. 

“I don’t trust her,” Marinette said. 

“I know, but she really is helping. She turned over the Miraculous and the pages of the tome she had. Master Fu thinks he can learn something from them, so that’s something.”

Marinette sat across from him on the bed and looked at him with a guarded expression. “You’ve been training her.”

“Yeah, I was all morning. Look, I know you don’t get along, but I wouldn’t be helping her if I didn’t really believe she could help us, too.”

“Wait… You know who she is, don’t you? You know her identity.”

Adrien saw no point in lying to her. “I do.”

“Who is she?”

“I can’t say.”

Marinette gaped at him. “Seriously?”

Adrien forced himself to remain calm and keep his voice down. “Seriously. The last time I forced a reveal without the person’s consent, it ended up backfiring and nearly cost me the girl I love, so no, I’m never doing that again.”

She continued to stare at him oddly. He’d expected some anger, even resentment, but all he got was a look of shocked, almost embarrassed bewilderment. “Did… Did you just say you love me?”

“I—” _Oh._ Adrien swallowed hard. “Yeah, I guess I did. I’ve told you before.”

Marinette shook her head. “No, you haven’t. Not to me.”

Adrien understood what she meant, and his heart wrenched for her recalling the pained end to their last intimate conversation the other day.

Slowly, so she could pull away if she wanted, he took her hands in his. “You asked me before who you are to me.” He brought her left hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “You’re Ladybug, the hero who stole my heart.” He brought her right hand close and kissed her there, too. “And you’re Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the girl I’ve admired since the day we met.” His fingers slipped along her jawline. Slowly, very slowly, he leaned toward her, his heart pounding but her mesmerizing, blue eyes empowering him. “You’re the girl I love. You’ve always been her.” He kissed her cheek and lingered against her ear. “No matter what mask you wear.”

Her trembling hands slipped around his arms and held fast. “How can you make it sound so simple?”

He laughed softly. His arm snaked around her waist and gently pulled her closer to his lap. “Because it is.”

Pulling back, he saw the unshed tears in her brilliant eyes, and he wished she could let herself accept the truth he saw every time he looked at her. 

“Please believe me,” he murmured. “I love you with everything I have.”

She sniffled. “Adrien, I’m… I want—”

He would have given her anything in that moment if only he could make her believe his feelings as deeply as he did, but the door burst open then and a very determined Chloe barged in like she owned the place. 

“Oh good, you’re both here. That saves me the hassle of—” Chloe abruptly cut herself off at the sight of Adrien and Marinette holding each other on her bed one minute and abruptly pulling apart as though burned the next. Chloe shielded her eyes. “Oh my god!”

Marinette was beet red, and Adrien knew he probably looked no better. He got to his feet and advanced on Chloe. “Ever heard of knocking, Chlo?” he demanded in an uncharacteristic display of hostility. 

“For the record, I did tell you to knock,” Luka said, poking his head in behind Chloe. 

Chloe completely ignored the threat of Adrien’s anger to focus her own on Luka. “You are _not_ allowed to take his side, got that?”

Luka smiled sheepishly. “Noted.” He nodded at Adrien. “Sorry to interrupt, man.”

Chloe threw up her arms. “Ugh, whatever. It’s called a lock, by the way. Maybe try using it next time.”

“You shouldn’t just barge in to people’s rooms,” Adrien said. 

“It’s fine, Adrien. I asked her to come,” Marinette said. “Hi, Luka.”

“Hi, Mar…” Luka looked between Marinette and Adrien as though he were seeing them for the first time. “Oh, wow, really?”

“Really,” Chloe deadpanned.

“So back at Cafe Violette… Wow, I had no idea.”

Marinette smiled shyly. “Surprise.”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Adrien said. “Marinette?”

She held his gaze, but it was Luka who spoke for her. 

“I’m Viperion,” he said. “I heard Ladybug wanted us all to meet, so…nice to officially meet you, Chat Noir.”

Adrien was stunned as he looked between a smiling Luka, a bemused Chloe, and a still blushing Marinette. “You knew?”

She nodded. “I found out last night. I’m sorry for shouting at you, by the way, Luka. You really were a huge help.”

“No worries. I think you scared Chloe more than me, anyway.”

Chloe frowned. “As if.”

Adrien couldn’t help feeling a little left out being the last to know, but he didn’t hold it against Marinette. After all, he was holding back Gallina’s identity from her, and he would have done the same for Luka had their situations been reversed. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. 

“Welcome to the team, man.” Adrien held out his hand for Luka to shake. “I’m glad for the help, believe me.”

He felt Marinette’s eyes on him, watching him accept Luka in stride, but she said nothing. 

“Well, _I_ for one am not,” said Plagg, the professional moment-ruiner and full-time drama queen. “Bad enough I gotta deal with that rude cock, but _you_?”

Luka’s kwami slithered out of his collar and stuck his tongue out. “Plagg, always a pleasure, but never yourssssss.”

“Sass, it’s so nice to see you!” Tikki said, phasing out of her hiding place in Marinette’s pillows. 

Sass wheezed a laugh and slithered around Tikki. “Lady Luck, you are as sssssssumptuous as ever.”

A blur of black and yellow rushed in out of nowhere, and the next thing Adrien knew, Sass was being pulled like a game of tug-of-war between Plagg and Pollen. 

“You damn, lecherous snake!” Plagg spat. 

“Sass, how could you?! You said you thought Tikki’s spots were boring!”

“What?! Tikki’s spots aren’t boring, they’re perfect!” Plagg cried. 

Tikki sighed. “Oh dear…”

Luka snatched Sass from the battling kwamis before they could pull him apart. “Okay, guys, that’s enough.”

Plagg and Pollen were both on Luka faster than the eye could see.

“Oi, kid, this is kwami business, so hand over that slippery bastard or I’m gonna give you piece of my paw!” Plagg threatened. 

Pollen gasped. “Plagg, no! You can’t hurt Luka, I like him!”

“No one’s hurting anyone.” Adrien grabbed Plagg by his scruff before he could hurt himself or anyone else. “Seriously? You can’t get along with anyone, can you?”

Plagg hissed. “It’s not my fault I’m surrounded my morons.”

“Am I a moron, Plagg?” Tikki asked, patting his bulbous head. 

Plagg instantly ceased his struggling. “No, obviously. I wasn’t talking about you, Sugar Cube.”

“Oh, so you were talking about me?” Adrien demanded. 

“Don’t push me, brat.”

“Jesus Christ, it’s like a Fun Size soap opera,” Chloe said. “Hold the fun.”

“Come now, Majesssssty,” Sass whispered. “You know yours is the ssssssweetest poison of all.”

Pollen turned up her nose, but she allowed Sass to coil loosely around her. “It _is_ , and don’t you forget it.”

“Words to literally live by,” Luka said, the warning in his tone obvious. 

“Well, I’m happy we’re all together again,” Tikki said. “Right, Pollen?”

Pollen was still ruffled, but Sass retreated as Tikki approached, which seemed to assuage her somewhat. “I _guess_.”

Tikki giggled and bumped Pollen affectionately, and Pollen buzzed happily. Nothing could keep her down for long, it seemed. 

“Blah, blah, kumbaya whatever,” Chloe said. “Look, I have some Miraculous that need to go back to Master Fu. Are you guys coming or what?”

Kwamis were stuffed in pockets and bags were packed. Adrien and Luka were on the stairs when Chloe yanked Marinette back into her room. 

“Oh no, you’re not going out like _that_ ,” Chloe said. 

“What’s wrong with my hair?!” Marinette said, affronted. 

“Literally everything. God, I have to do everything myself. Get in here.”

“Huh,” Luka said once Chloe had slammed the door on them. “They’ve gotten closer.”

Adrien thought about that. “Yeah, I guess they have.”

“That’s great for both of them. I want Chloe to have a friend like Marinette.”

Adrien looked at him and saw the genuine affection in his expression, plain as day. He smiled. “Maybe a friend like you, too?”

Luka blinked, but he was quick to return the smile. “Maybe.”

Five minutes later, and Marinette was looking considerably more stylish in a messy bun with her bangs framing her face. Tikki was beaming, and Pollen was looking incredibly smug as though the whole thing had been her idea. 

“I’m just saying, if you’re going to save the world, you might as well look good doing it,” Chloe said.

“All right, all right, geez.” Marinette did her best to hide her smile.

Adrien’s phone beeped with an incoming text as the four of them made their way downstairs through the Dupain bakery and outside to wait for a ride share.

[Nathalie: I urgently need to speak with you at the manor. It’s about your father.]

_Weird,_ he thought. Nathalie almost never texted, only called. 

A car pulled up to take the four teenagers back to Fu’s place, but Adrien lingered. 

“A, you coming?” Chloe asked after Luka and Marinette had already shoved into the back of the car. 

“Yeah, I… I mean, no. Sorry, I just got a text from Nathalie. I have to head home first.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong? She never texts you.”

He shook his head. “She said it’s about my father.”

“Then go. Catch up when you’re done, but don’t be long.”

_What if something happened to my mom?_

Adrien couldn’t begin to imagine what might happen if Emilie was not well and Gabriel was having to deal with it. Despite his hurt over Gabriel ignoring him and Emilie all night, he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing his father so distraught. It was the only time Adrien had ever seen his father cry when the doctors declared Emilie all but brain-dead with almost no chance of recovering. 

“Hey, are you okay? Do you want me to come with you?” Chloe said softly so they wouldn’t be overheard. 

Adrien wanted to say yes, to lean on her like he always did. But knowing what was waiting at Fu’s gave him pause. “…No, go with them. And listen, Chlo, there’s something else.”

“What?”

“Gallina will probably be there. Look, I know how you and Marinette feel about her. I’m not asking you to be her best friend, but I’m telling you that I believe she’s on our side. She’s trying to help us, and I… Well, I think I can trust her to do that much. Just, whatever happens, don’t let her reveal her identity until I get there. Promise me.”

Chloe was formidable and even a little scary when she got _that_ look. “You know who she is, don’t you?”

He sighed. “Yeah, I do. And no, I’m not going to out her. After what happened with Marinette, I’m never doing something like that again no matter who it is. It’s not right.”

Chloe looked like she was going to fight him on it, but instead she just rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever. I’ll do what I can. Just hurry up. We’re going to need all hands on deck. And paws.”

Adrien was too preoccupied with thoughts of Nathalie and his parents to appreciate her pun, and Chloe noticed. Her expression darkened. 

“A, I’m serious. Go, do what you need to do. We’ll be waiting for you.”

“Yeah, right. Okay. See you in a bit.”

Chloe got into the car behind Marinette, and Adrien watched as they drove away. He pocketed his phone and walked around the block to an empty alley to transform, and he took off for home.

* * *

 

There was nothing more difficult in all the world than loving another.

Nathalie Sancoeur had learned this harsh and brutal lesson in her time working first for Emilie Delphine, and subsequently for Emilie's husband, Gabriel Agreste. Adrien was still learning it. 

Which was why Nathalie had not protested to him staying by his mother’s side as she slept in her new bed hooked up to flashing monitor equipment, alone in the vast, drafty Agreste Manor. But when he’d risen in the wee hours of the morning and asked about his father, she had swiftly ended that line of questioning. Gabriel was indisposed, she said. He would be by to check on Emilie later, she said. Adrien accepted her excuses with his usual agreeable disappointment, and she didn’t stop him from going out to ‘clear his head’ before sunrise. He’d had one hell of a night, in part thanks to her, and he deserved all the air he could get outside this stifling room. 

If ever there was a time to be grateful for Gabriel’s distance from his son, it was now. For Nathalie did not know what she would do if Adrien went looking for his father. She didn’t know what he would find. 

Now, the house was quiet as the staff took their lunch break. Nathalie sat with Emilie and held her cold hand, and she prayed for strength. 

“I promised myself I would help him in your stead, until you were better. I thought I was helping, but now…” Nathalie removed her glasses to rub her tired eyes. “I don’t know what to do now. I don’t know how to help him anymore. I don’t know…”

_I don’t know if there’s anything left of him._

She’d ventured to Gabriel’s study that morning after Adrien was gone and hovered by the door. She could hear movement inside, an odd shuffling, labored breathing. And as she pressed her ear closer, an ominous snap. As though whoever or whatever lay within knew she was there. She felt its eyes on her through the heavy door, and she was overcome with a debilitating fear the likes of which she’d rarely known. 

She ran like a coward, and she didn’t stop until she’d locked herself in Emilie’s room on the other side of the mansion. She hadn’t left the room since. 

Now, as she sat confessing her fears to a woman who couldn’t respond even if she wanted to, Nathalie felt a crippling sense of shame for her own inadequacies, and guilt over her lack of action to rectify them. 

In the hand not holding Emilie’s, she held the Peacock Miraculous, Emilie’s greatest treasure. It had been dormant since she’d fallen into a coma, and until last night it had never left her person. That had been Gabriel’s wish. If modern science couldn’t help his wife, then perhaps the magic of the Miraculous could. But it had not. Nathalie suspected it never would. 

“I’m so sorry,” Nathalie confessed, squeezing her eyes shut to stave off the tears that would not fall. “I’ve failed you and Gabriel in every conceivable way, and I don’t know what to do now. All I can do is shield Adrien from it all. I’ve tried, but even there I’ll fail. I can’t keep this from him much longer. Not him.”

_Not Chat Noir._

The air in Emilie’s room was stale and cool, almost uncomfortably so. Nathalie imagined her half a corpse, preserved in all her loveliness in the cold and dark, dead to the world. It broke her heart. 

“The truth is I love him,” Nathalie whispered, barely audible as she clutched Emilie’s hand and the Peacock Miraculous close. “His devotion to you, never giving up on you… And I thought, _that’s_ real. That’s true. He is true, and I love him for it. But my love will never be enough.” She smiled sadly. “I’m not you.”

_And that’s okay._

It had always been okay. Nathalie’s love was like the stars, far-reaching and faithful, but distant and cold. Gabriel was the sun, bright and powerful and always rising, but never for her. And Emilie, she was the moon, waxing and waning and always outshining every star in the galaxy. Nathalie would never shine like she could, like Gabriel could. 

And that was okay.

“The truth is,” Nathalie said in a broken, tinny voice. “The truth is I wish it had been me in that car instead of you. I wish that more than anything.”

Something wet and warm fell upon her fingers clasped around Emilie’s, and Nathalie was startled at the thought that she was actually crying. But they weren’t her tears at all. Pearly and thick, they evaporated on contact like stardust, and they left a cloying, sweet sadness behind. 

“We know,” said the feathered, blue creature that had appeared before Nathalie. “We’ve always known.”

Nathalie could only stare in shock at the tiny life she recognized from so many years ago, magically returned. “Duusu… But how? Am I dreaming?”

Duusu shook her bulbous head, shaking fresh tears from her eyes. They dribbled over her sharp, blue beak to Nathalie’s fingers and the Miraculous nestled in between. “You have a sympathetic heart, Nathalie Sancoeur. You always have. But I did not want to leave Mistress all alone.”

A sympathetic heart. Nooroo had said something similar to her not so long ago. 

“Mistress grieves for her family,” Duusu said. “Even I cannot bear her pain anymore. She won’t let me.”

Nathalie hastily wiped her dry eyes and composed herself. “I don’t understand. You’re bonded to her. Gabriel said—”

“This is not Gabriel’s decision,” Duusu said darkly. Her colorful tail feathers fanned out, almost hostile.

Nathalie was taken aback at the power behind Duusu’s words. She had the surreal impression that Duusu was far larger than she really was, vast like the ocean and as deep as space. 

_“If I had to use your limited language to define myself, I would say I am a god,”_ Nooroo had explained once, long ago. _“A being of great power, but only for those who believe in me.”_

Nathalie swallowed thickly. 

“I will aid you,” Duusu said, quietly, “just this once.”

Nathalie did not know what to say to that, except yes. “Will it hurt?”

“Yes.” Duusu fluttered close and touched Nathalie’s nose with her wing. A shuddering ripple of magic coursed down Nathalie’s spine, like being doused in ice water. “But you have survived far worse.”

Nathalie glanced down at Emilie’s sleeping face one last time. She had the urge to touch her, and so she did. Emilie’s temple was smooth and cool and so utterly devoid of color that, had the monitors not been tracking her brain wave activity, Nathalie may have truly mistaken her for a corpse. “I know I’m not worthy,” she said sadly. “But I’ll do what I can. You have my word.”

Duusu let her have the moment, but not for long. “It’s time. For the vermin we face, there will be only one chance.”

Nathalie looked at the blue kwami, intrigued and a little apprehensive. “You know what it is, then? The thing wearing Gabriel’s skin.”

“Everyone knows what it is. It lives in all living creatures. But unchecked, it’s a cancer.” Duusu averted her gaze. “Only Nooroo and I have ever been able to see its rot for what it really is. I imagine that’s why it targeted his Chosen above all the others.”

Nathalie resigned herself to what she must do. Unlike before, she could not run away now. For if she did…

If she did, then Adrien would never even see it coming. 

_Adrien._

It was now or never. She had no idea how long Duusu would be able to stay parted from Emilie while she still lived and anchored the kwami to her soul. There was not much time, but she owed Adrien this much, at least.

She pulled out her phone and texted him to return home at once, and hoped for once in his life he would make haste. When it was done, she pocketed her phone and faced Duusu once more. She pinned the Peacock Miraculous to the lapel of her blazer and put on her bravest face. “I’m ready.”

Duusu regarded her and nodded. “Then let it be done.”

Nathalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Duusu, Eyes open.”

The magic was crushing in its coating, penetrating her skin like needles and carving her into a new, unrecognizable shade of herself. She stumbled and nearly fell under the weight of it, gasping for air for her burning, screaming lungs. Every breath was a stab to the gut, a rebellion against these unworthy bones that believed but were not beloved. The farther away she drew from Emilie, the more the magic protested. 

But she would not be deterred. Not now, not when there was no other choice left for all of them. 

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror opposite Emilie’s bed. Her skin was glamoured blue, her auburn hair covered in a feathered cap. So unlike Emilie’s beautiful transformation, light and free and invincible. 

And yet, she could feel a piece of Emilie with her, like the warmth of a broken embrace, a lingering trace of the memory. And it was this trace, as well as the deed that lay ahead, that compelled her to wear Emilie’s Chosen name like a talisman.

“Mayura,” she spoke in a voice that was not entirely hers, not entirely human. Vulgar, painted lips parted with a hostility she did not feel, but with which she could sympathize. Duusu’s fury.

This was long overdue, and She was too long dormant. 

Mayura made her way down the hall, her strides long and her heels clacking, dragging the long, feathered train of her dress like chainmail in her wake. The locked door to Gabriel’s study opened easily to her strength, and she was greeted by gloom. 

“Incarnation,” he said, a wraith in the shadows. “I knew you would come.”

“Gabriel, hear me,” Mayura said. Her painted fan was heavy in her hand, and her fingers quietly crept toward one of the enchanted feathers, watching for an opening. “You must fight this parasite.”

“A parasite, am I?” He loomed in the darkness, larger than her, larger than anything. “And what does that make you, clinging to a dead woman as you do?”

Mayura was overcome with an incandescent rage she did not wholly recognize. “That woman is your wife!”

“She is a ball and chain! He could be so much more than he is…with me…”

“You’re wrong, vermin. He already is.”

Laughter, rancid and bitter. 

“You poor wretch. Even now I can smell your fear. Your…pathetic _love_ … You don’t have it in you.”

Mayura bared her teeth and plucked a feather from her fan. “For him, I would face even you!”

With a roar, she lunged for the shadows, and her prey met her halfway. His blows were tricks of the light, solid one moment and gone the next, passing through her in whimpering shudders like a cold draft down her neck. Every step took her farther from Emilie and closer to oblivion, but she would not stop, not until it was done. Duusu had promised her just once, and she would make it count. 

His fist—Hawk Moth’s fist—slammed into her face, and his cane sword was not far behind. Reacting on instincts that were not truly hers, Mayura ducked and shoved her hand and the feather it enclosed hard into his belly. 

“Banish!”

He grunted and dropped his cane sword, overcome with a sudden seizure that crippled him full-body.

Mayura, too, fell to her knees, the pain elemental as to render her momentarily blind, but she was not done. “Gabriel,” she wheezed. 

He writhed on the floor, the shadows rising off him like smoke as they amassed above him. 

“F-Father?”

Mayura whirled and spotted Chat Noir in the splintered doorway, his eyes blown wide and his staff trembling in his unsteady hand. She forced herself to her feet and tried to put herself between him and the enemy. 

“Adrien, stay back!”

Green eyes found hers, vulnerable yet unable to look away. 

A groaning behind them, and Mayura turned back to see Hawk Moth struggling on the floor, his purple suit torn and tattered as the presence possessing him was exorcised. A dark cloud gathered over him, and Mayura realized that it was not groaning she had heard, but a deep, rumbling laughter. 

“You arrogant fool,” it spoke, amorphous in shape and sound. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”

“I’ve expelled you,” Mayura spat. “So get the fuck away from him!”

“Nathalie,” Hawk Moth moaned her true name as he struggled. His helmet was dinged and sooty, and blood ran from his lips. “Get… Get out of here…”

The entity morphed and stretched, assuming the vague shape of an enormous butterfly with mighty, dark wings. “I shall…after I’ve consumed Empathy!” 

“No!” 

The massive butterfly descended on Hawk Moth once more, and Mayura screamed. This pain, it was too great, too much, and she was not strong enough to bear it anymore. 

“Cataclysm!” 

Silent as a spirit, Chat leaped past her and sank his deadly claws into the writhing butterfly. It screamed as his destructive magic devoured it before it could reach Hawk Moth. Mayura watched, entranced, as it dispelled like fog, only to concentrate once more in solid, shapeless form. With an unearthly wail, it dove for the dimmed skylight and smashed through the glass, disappearing and letting in the sunlight. 

Mayura was moving before she could even think of it. Indigo light enveloped Hawk Moth as his glamor finally, finally fell and released Nooroo, shaking and unconscious. Mayura scooped him up in one hand and supported Gabriel’s shaking body in the other. When the tears came, they were indeed hers this time. 

“Gabriel,” she sobbed. “I-I’m so sorry, I should have come for you sooner.”

Gabriel’s breath was a death rattle that chilled her bones. He closed his withered hand around hers, around Nooroo, but he had eyes only for Chat Noir looming over them. 

“Adrien,” he said. 

Chat was rigid. The sunlight filtering in from the broken skylight cast him half in shadow, half in the light. 

“You…” Chat said, tentative. Fragile. 

Gabriel tightened his grip on Mayura’s hand. “I’m sorry.”

Chat dropped his staff and fell to his knees. 

And he wept.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when canon said Nathalie using the Peacock Miraculous was extremely dangerous, and then made her look blue and almost zombified when no other Miraculous wielder does? And then forgot about most of that? Well, I didn’t.
> 
> Also, I am living for LilAdrien friendship, you guys. Living. For. It.
> 
> Next time: Kagami doesn't like getting blown off and decides to take matters into her sword hand.


	14. Fear Lives Within You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, here’s an emotionally distressing chapter for you all after my month-long hiatus! :)

Kagami was in a Bad Mood. She was not used to being ghosted for _any_ reason, doomsday hospital apocalypse or no. Sure, Paris was in turmoil after last night’s freak akuma attacks and the rumors floating around about zombie people being kept deep underground, but it was no excuse for the radio silence. 

Lila had ditched her after dinner right in the middle of cleanup, leaving Kagami with her arms submerged in soapy water washing dishes without so much as an apology on her way out the door. By the time Kagami had dried off and run outside after her, Lila was long gone. No way a ride share could have picked her up so fast, and she did not strike Kagami as the type to be caught dead riding a bicycle. She’d just disappeared into the night. With Stefano out for dinner and Gia relaxing in the bath while the girls offered to clean up after dinner, there was no one around to help Kagami deal with whatever the hell had just happened. 

Lila’s only explanation very, very late that night was a simple text with no actual explanation at all:

[Lila: Sorry for ditching you. It was an emergency.]

Kagami had tried calling, but Lila’s phone cut straight to voicemail. She watched the news with her father, horrified as the events at the hospital unfolded in grainy, gory detail and Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee, and Viperion tried to contain the three nightmare akumas. Them, and the so-called Haunted victims they infected. Ladybug’s short interview with the press around 3 a.m. was as grim as the scene behind her, warning people to remain calm, her team was working with the police to find a cure to the supernatural malady. Until then, have hope. 

Gallina had made a brief appearance, but had left with Chat Noir soon after the akumas were defeated. And now, Kagami wanted some goddamned answers. 

She was not stupid. Something was going on with Lila, something that connected her to Gallina, Chat Noir, and this whole mess. Kagami had not pressed the issue with Lila at dinner, not wanting to put her off, but it bothered her how Gallina, who was a new hero and had never once interacted with Kagami, had shown up so fast to Kagami’s home when the nightmare wolves attacked. At first, Kagami had considered that perhaps she had accompanied Chat Noir, but their interactions that night suggested that they were not working together. And then last night, Lila ran off citing some emergency, but Kagami could think of no emergency a seventeen-year-old girl might have so late at night when her family was all accounted for. 

Something was up with Lila Rossi, and Kagami was determined to get to the bottom of it. 

Around lunchtime, she was truly surprised to get a text from Lila out of the blue.

[Lila: Lunch at mine? My treat.]

Kagami had just finished a workout since school was canceled today and she had nothing much better to do, and she was about to jump in the shower. 

[Kagami: Does that lunch come with some conversation?]

[Lila: You know I like the sound of my own voice.]

Kagami snorted. “Too true.”

And so, Kagami headed to the Rossi apartment. She thought about what she would say to Lila, and in turn all the twists and hedges Lila would employ to worm her way out of answering. Perhaps a direct and blunt approach would be best in this case. After all, Kagami was seventy percent sure she knew what was really going on. 

She was admitted inside the apartment to the mouthwatering aroma of sage and garlic, Gia’s stellar cooking, no doubt. But it wasn’t just the smells that greeted her. 

“ _Ci vediamo stasera, amore,_ ” Stefano said as he passed Kagami in the hall sporting a blazer and a hat like he was going out. “Oh, Kagami. I didn’t know you were coming over.”

Kagami met his gaze flatly. “Lila invited me. I thought you and Mrs. Rossi would be joining us.”

His smile fell and he looked at her with suspicion. “I have plans with a friend. It’s all very last minute.”

“Right.”

He left, and Kagami walked into the middle of a very awkward tension between Lila and her mother. 

“What do you mean, you _know_?” Lila was tense, rigid, like she might snap in two under a light breeze. 

Gia was stirring sauce at the stovetop, her brow furrowed. “I mean, I know. I’ve always known.” She filled two bowls with stew. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. He always comes back.”

Kagami stood frozen in the doorway. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t want to interrupt what was clearly a very personal, emotionally fraught conversation. 

“You’ve always known,” Lila repeated in a hollow voice. “And you just pretended you didn’t?”

Gia, normally bright and sunny on all the occasions Kagami had seen her, turned an uncharacteristically icy glare on her daughter that made Kagami flinch. “I made a choice to keep my family together.”

She set down two bowls on the table and looked up at Kagami, smiling sweetly as if nothing were amiss. As if it were second nature. “Kagami, I’m sorry you had to hear that. Please, sit! You don’t want it to get cold.”

Lila finally noticed Kagami standing there. When they locked eyes, Kagami shivered. She’d never seen Lila look so vulnerable.

“I’m not hungry.” Lila got up and headed for the door. She bumped Kagami on her way out.

“What do you mean you’re not—Lila!”

Gia’s protests fell upon deaf ears. Kagami raced after Lila and closed the door behind them. Lila stalked down the sidewalk, bumping shoulders with passersby and not bothering to apologize. 

“Lila,” Kagami tried.

Lila shot her a nasty look over her shoulder meant to intimidate and silence. “Go away, Kagami.”

Kagami glared right back. “Like hell. You said we could talk, and I’m not leaving without an explanation.”

“An explanation?” Lila marched right up to her, heedless of the people walking by and casting them strange looks. “What, you didn’t get enough of an explanation in there? It wasn’t clear to you that my dad’s on his way to go fuck his secretary and my mom’s totally okay with it?”

Kagami grabbed her wrist and hissed, “Not here. Let’s go somewhere quieter—”

“Quiet? You want me to be _quiet_?” Lila raised her voice and was nearly shouting. “Maybe I don’t want to be quiet anymore. Apparently, Mom’s been doing a bang-up job keeping quiet about everything!”

People were openly staring now. The cashier at the clothing shop they’d stopped in front of frowned at them and placed a call on his phone. Kagami moved quickly and marched Lila around the corner to a small park. 

“What the— _let go of me_!” Lila screeched. 

Kagami let her go by shoving her down on a park bench. Lila tried to get up, but Kagami grabbed her chin roughly and forced her to pay attention. 

“Get ahold of yourself,” Kagami said. “You’re attracting a lot of unwanted attention. If you keep shouting, someone will call the police, and I know you don’t want that.” 

This finally seemed to get through to Lila. She pushed Kagami’s hand away, but she didn’t raise her voice or try to get up again. Satisfied, Kagami sat down next to her on the bench and clenched her fists. A few people still watched them as they walked by, but now that the commotion was over they went about their business. 

Kagami said nothing as she sat there next to Lila and watched pedestrians pass by with dogs on leashes, babies in strollers, arms weighed down with shopping bags. It was a lovely day, chilly but sunny. It felt like they sat there for hours as the sunlight shifted through the trees and cast them in messy shadows. 

“I don’t want you to be quiet,” Kagami said at length. “I’ve never wanted that.”

Lila’s posture was perfect, not a hair out of place, but her green eyes were dull and dark under the moving shadows, sightless. 

“You want a perfect princess to pledge your honor to,” she said. “I’m not her.”

Kagami studied her profile, stiff as a board. “That’s not how I see it.”

“You only see what I let you see. It’s a lie.”

“And how long do you have to live the lie before it becomes your truth?”

Lila finally turned to look at her, and Kagami had her answer. What had been a strong, if unbelievable, suspicion was now confirmed in that tired look. It was so wrong on Lila that it stoked Kagami’s anger a little. Lila was many things, but defeated was not one of them. Kagami was convinced there wasn’t a force on Earth that could defeat Lila Rossi, and that was what drew her in.

“There is no truth. Just emptiness and disappointment.” Lila laughed, but it was as empty and disappointed as she felt. “All this time, the only person I was ever really fooling was myself.”

Kagami found it hard to look at her like this. It was so wrong on Lila, so against everything she presented herself as, everything she prided herself upon. “I know you don’t really believe that.”

“You don’t know a goddamned thing about me.”

“I know you’re Gallina.”

She didn’t know, not really. But Lila’s hard stare and lack of reaction confirmed it. Despite herself, Kagami’s heart raced with the secret knowledge that she’d been right, that Gallina—that _Lila_ had saved her life against the nightmare wolves. That _Lila_ had thrown herself into danger to save her and Chat Noir. She’d faced death to save them, and there was nothing empty or disappointing about that. 

“Congratulations,” Lila said dryly. “You’ve seen through my last lie.”

“It isn’t a lie,” said a deeper, masculine voice. A talking rooster the size of Kagami’s fist poked his head out of Lila’s red jacket. “Gallina is your true self.”

Kagami stared at the impossible creature and could only assume he was somehow connected to Gallina. She swallowed and looked around to make sure no one was watching them. 

“Nothing about me is true, Orikko,” Lila said. “You know that better than anyone.”

“You saved my life,” Kagami said, choosing to ignore her burning questions about the talking rooster for now. “Are you saying that was a lie?”

“I’m saying none of it matters because it doesn’t change anything.”

“Your choices matter,” Orikko said. “If you believe in nothing else, believe in that.”

Lila slumped and covered her face with her hands. “I don’t _have any choice_.”

Kagami touched a hand to her shoulder, and Lila shot up out of reach.

“Don’t,” Lila hissed. 

Kagami got up and got in her face. “Why won’t you let me help you? I’m here, I want to listen. Whatever is really upsetting you, it won’t scare me off. So just tell me.”

Lila laughed bitterly. “Tell you? There’s nothing else to tell! You already know everything. My dad’s a liar and a cheat, my mom’s a doormat in denial, and I’m their daughter. What does that make me, hm?”

“Seriously? Your parents’ shitty choices have nothing to do with who you are—”

“You _don’t_ know anything about me.” 

“No, I do know you. _Lila_.” She grabbed Lila’s hands. “You have the power to do so much and _be_ so much. You’re Gallina, a superhero who made a choice to help people! Orikko’s right, _that_ is who you really are. Why are you so afraid to accept that?”

“Because I’m no good!” Lila ripped her hands free. “Are you happy now?”

Kagami knew Lila harbored insecurities. No one who talked such a big game could be doing anything other than running on fumes. But she had no idea Lila’s fears ran so deep. 

“Orikko’s power is Intuition. He Chose me because I’m supposed to—to understand. To _see_ what’s real and what’s a farce. I can see what others can’t, the darkness and the evil that’s infecting this city and everyone in it. And for what? I couldn’t even see through Mom! All this time, and I thought I knew exactly who she was, who…”

_Who I was._

Lila didn’t speak the words, but Kagami sensed their truth in her silence.

“Adrien thinks it’s just a matter of changing my perspective, but how is that any different from another lie? I can charm flies from shit, but the shit will still be there.”

Kagami did not quite understand everything Lila was telling her, but she could understand feeling lost and uncertain. “I understand that you feel anxious.”

“What could you possibly understand? You’re so sure of yourself and your place in the world.” She let out a sharp breath. “Maybe Orikko should have Chosen you over me.”

Orikko flew out of Lila’s jacket and flapped in her face. “I would never do such a thing. Lila, it is your uncertainty that makes you intuitive and open. You constantly question the people and situations around you, and that allows you to examine them deeply and fairly. To be certain is to be blind to every perspective but your own. There is power in that, true enough, but not the kind that suits you. You’ve already seen the consequences of your certainty.”

Kagami moved to stand between Orikko and the view of him from the sidewalk, but she didn’t interrupt their conversation. Something told her it was not her place. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lila demanded. 

Orikko fixed her with a cold, heavy gaze. “You know.”

They faced off for a few tense seconds before Lila broke it, her gaze far away and troubled. “I have to go. Adrien’s probably already back at Master Fu’s by now.”

“Wait, you’re leaving? Who’s Master Fu? And what does Adrien have to do with anything?” Kagami demanded. 

Lila looked at her, resigned. “Adrien is Chat Noir, and Master Wang Fu is the Guardian of the Miraculous. I’m working with them to stop Hawk Moth, or whatever he’s become. So there, now you know everything. I have to go.”

Kagami stared after her in shock as she processed all that Lila had revealed. Adrien…

_Adrien is Chat Noir?_

Every visit he’d paid her, the conversations they’d had—Chat had a difficult relationship with his father, he’d told her many times before.

“ _Kuso yarou_ ,” Kagami swore, her mind racing as she replayed old conversations she’d had with Adrien and with Chat. He’d been right under her nose the whole time. He’d saved her life, fought alongside her, trusted her with secrets except the one that mattered the most and—

“Orikko, Sun up.”

Lila had ducked behind a tree and transformed into Gallina. Kagami snapped out of it and dashed after her. 

“Hey, wait!”

Gallina cast her a bored look. “You’ll only slow me down. I have to go.”

“Li— _Gallina_!” Kagami snatched her arm. “I’m guessing you weren’t supposed to tell me any of that just now. You’re obviously upset. I get that. So instead of ditching me again, why don’t you just stay and talk to—”

“I’m done talking, and I don’t need your help.” Gallina easily broke Kagami’s hold on her and looked away. “I don’t need anyone’s help.”

Before Kagami could stop her, she leaped high into the tree, and then up onto a nearby building. Kagami ran after her, but Gallina disappeared over the rooftop and out of sight. Kagami stood there for a few seconds, taut as a rubber band and ready to snap. Every instinct told her to go after Gallina, she was vulnerable and upset and in no condition to be fighting. Considering the alarming frequency of these nightmare akuma attacks and now the Haunted spreading like a disease, it was only a matter of time before Paris erupted in violence again. 

“I’m not letting you leave me behind again,” Kagami said, reaching for her phone to call her driver. She would stop off at home to change clothes and get her mother’s katana. 

And then, she would track down this so-called Guardian.

* * *

 

Adrien was still on his knees when he reverted and Plagg materialized before him. 

“Oi, kid, look at me,” Plagg said. 

But all Adrien could see was his father on the floor in Mayura’s arms, the lost kwami Nooroo clutched in his fingers shaking like a leaf. 

_Father…my father is…_

_“The enemy.”_

Adrien gasped at the strange voice that he felt more than heard deep under his skin.

“Adrien,” Plagg tried again and bopped him on the nose. 

Gabriel coughed violently, the kind that racked full-body down to the toes. Mayura made a sound of distress, but it soon devolved into an agonized cry as she released Gabriel to clutch at herself. 

“Nathalie!” Gabriel said through his coughs. 

A flash of cerulean light crackled the air, and Mayura’s glamor dropped to reveal Nathalie, pallid and trembling with fever. She doubled over on the floor in the fetal position and clutched her stomach. A small, blue kwami hovered over her, watching silently. 

“Adrien!” Plagg snarled. 

This got his attention finally. Plagg glared at him with blazing, green eyes and not a trace of his usual churlish air to be seen. 

“Listen to me,” Plagg said in voices deeper and larger than his tiny frame. They wove together like ropes of water down a cataract, bone-crushing at their end. “Right now you’re thinking that all hope is lost because your greatest enemy turned out to be your father all along. But _listen to me, Adrien._ ”

Plagg’s many voices—howling voices, screaming voices, booming voices—seemed to fill the dark solar and suck the shadows to him and push the light out through the crack the creature had escaped through. Even Gabriel stopped trying to get Nathalie to respond to him as he stared at Plagg, unable to look away. 

Adrien drew a shaky breath. He could feel his tears pouring out, chilly and chilling. He had the most absurd idea that they froze upon his cheeks, and his very skin was turned to ice, and he couldn’t move.

“This can’t break you,” Plagg said. “I Chose you because even when all hope is lost, _you_ will always remain. Your heart is resilient. There’s no power in this world or the next that can destroy you unless you let it, so _don’t_.”

“I…” Adrien sputtered. He could barely breathe in here, and that voice…

“He’s always been your greatest enemy in and out of the mask. This changes nothing. _He can't break you unless you let him_.”

The walls seemed to sink in on him, claustrophobic, gravitational. Adrien could feel their oppressive weight; it was them, the shadows taking up the air, the light, even the darkness. He clutched at his throat and gasped for breath, but it was ice in his lungs. 

_“Break you? You’re already broken.”_

Plagg grabbed onto his face and shouted to be heard over the voice coming from within. “ _Resist_ , Adrien! You’re my Chosen! Whatever’s consuming you, devour it right back!”

Adrien closed his eyes as he felt Plagg’s acidic power seep under his skin like needles, down his spine to his toes, under his fingernails. It burned away everything else, even the arsenic in his ears. He couldn’t breath, couldn’t see, couldn’t think beyond the horrifying revelation that Hawk Moth was, and always had been, his own father. His father, who had raised him from infancy, clothed and fed him, loved him as he’d loved his mother. The man who watched over him, kept him safe, kept him here behind these walls, walled in, cut off from others, from the outside, from friends, from him, too. Receded into his office, into his work, into his grief that he selfishly refused to share with his own son who’d lost Emilie as much as he had. So cold, so distant, so lonely, so familiar. 

Adrien let out a desperate cry. Plagg was right; he knew this pain all too well. He had lived with it for so long, a dark passenger that followed him wherever he went, whomever he saw, however much time passed. It had always been here in and out of the mask. 

The truth of it was that Gabriel Agreste had already failed his only son a long time ago. There was nothing left of their love to destroy.

Acceptance.

It was right there in his reach all along. Ugly and small and imploding, it fit snugly in his hand and molded to his crushing fist as if it had belonged there all along. Adrien imagined it crawling through him the way Cataclysm crawled through him, a living, writhing thing that corroded and corrupted all in its path, but never him. He was merely a conduit, a power source, a guiding hand to direct the brunt of his rage and despair onward and upward. It lifted him now from a depth he could not remember sinking to, and like breaking the surface of the water, the world came back into focus around him as he finally breathed, full and deep. 

“Plagg?” he gasped. 

Plagg bared his tiny fangs in a wolfish grin and, unbelievably, hugged Adrien’s face. “Now _that’s_ my Chosen!”

Adrien wasn’t sure what had happened, but Plagg was hugging him and didn’t care that Adrien’s tears were mottling his fur. He carefully removed Plagg from his face and held him in his hands. To his utter shock, Plagg was _purring_. 

“Impressive,” said the peacock-shaped kwami. She flew over and peered at Adrien. “I don’t sense a trace of Fear left in you. You truly are Destruction’s Chosen.”

Plagg zipped into the air and puffed out his little chest. “Fuckin’ right he is. Best one I’ve had in centuries, can’t you tell? Go ahead and be jealous.”

Adrien shook his head. Plagg was praising him? This had to be a dream. “What’s going on? What was that—that feeling, like… I felt like I was freezing, sinking somewhere. And the voice…”

“That was Fear,” said Gabriel as he clutched Nooroo to his chest. “The vermin Nathalie and Duusu there expelled from me. You absorbed so much of its miasma when you attacked it, but somehow you were able to overcome its pernicious influence. I…was not so fortunate.”

Adrien stared at Gabriel, at the kwami nestled against his chest. He could feel the despair boiling inside him, but it was not the enervating force that had almost crushed him moments ago. “Father.”

Gabriel at least had the decency to look abashed. “Adrien, I have a lot to explain.”

Adrien got to his feet. It was petty, he knew, but the height he had on his father as he sat disheveled on the floor filled him with bitter satisfaction, however fleeting. “It’s pretty self-explanatory from where I’m standing. What I want to know is _why_.”

“For your mother,” Gabriel said, stifling a cough. “All of it, the akumas, the secrecy, all of it was to find a way to bring her back.”

Adrien faltered. “What?”

“The Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous are said to have been created when the universe began. If they have the power to bring existence as we know it into being, then they could have the power to save the existence of one person. I only ever wanted to save her…”

Adrien saw red. “So you terrorized the city and hurt countless people? Do you have any idea how many people are dead because of you?”

Duusu appeared before him. “That was not Gabriel; it was Fear. The vermin we expelled is responsible for the terrors you have been battling up until now.”

“It’s true,” Gabriel said. “I never meant for anyone to get hurt. Once Fear possessed me, I had no control at all. You have to believe me.”

“What about before?” Adrien demanded. “That police officer from the Stoneheart akuma ended up dying from his injuries, and there was nothing Ladybug could do. Or what about all the people Riposte cut through before Ladybug stopped her? Tell me, Father: did you have control over them?”

Gabriel pressed his lips together and said nothing. 

Adrien could have screamed. Instead, he took a page from Gabriel’s book and turned his back on him. “That’s what I thought.”

He waited for Gabriel to say something, anything to explain himself, to _apologize_ , but there was only silence. Even on the floor and reduced to the sum of his colossal failures, Gabriel was still so far away. Adrien squeezed his eyes shut, but there was no stopping his quiet tears. This time, they ran hot and slow down his cheeks, as if to savor the moment. 

“I’m so ashamed of you,” Adrien said. 

His voice, soft and raw, nonetheless carried in the empty space. Plagg’s ears drooped and Duusu awkwardly dipped her head. 

“I know you are,” Gabriel said, weary.

Adrien covered his mouth to stifle a sob that gutted him deep. He forced himself to stand there unmoving, afraid that if he turned around, that if he looked upon his father crumpled on the floor like the sad, bitter old man he was, that he’d lose his nerve like he always did. But Gabriel was out of excuses, and Adrien was finally done listening to them. All that was left was the chasm between them, at long last acknowledged. 

Nathalie groaned in pain, and Duusu flew to her side. 

“Nathalie!” Gabriel cradled her head on his lap. 

“She is in great pain,” Duusu said gravely. “She must rest and recover.”

Gabriel shot her a poisonous look. “And whose fault is that? How dare you Choose Nathalie while you remain bonded to Emilie’s soul? You know the risks!”

“Master, please, Duusu and Nathalie only tried to save us,” said Nooroo in a tinny voice.

“Nooroo! You’re awake.” Gabriel lifted him higher, and Duusu flew close. 

“You were careless, Nooroo,” Duusu reprimanded. “You could have perished along with your Chosen if Fear had remained with you even a day longer.”

“Thought I smelled a worm,” Plagg spat. “So it’s true? That thing was really Fear?”

“Yes,” Nooroo said. “I did not detect his influence until it was already too late. I am so sorry for my part in this tragedy.”

“It isn’t your fault,” Duusu said. 

“I don’t know, you clearly have shit taste in Chosen, which is 100% your fault,” Plagg said. 

“Plagg!”

Nooroo wheezed. “Please, let us not quarrel now. We must stop Fear.”

Adrien found his voice. “I’m not really following. I thought Plagg and I destroyed that creature with Cataclysm just now.”

Nooroo looked up at him, and Adrien felt uncomfortably exposed under his penetrating stare. It reminded him of the way his father could look at him and seem to divine all his secrets and failures. “You cannot destroy Fear any more than you can destroy Plagg or Duusu or me. We will exist so long as there are those who believe in us. It is very difficult to kill an idea, especially one as instinctual as Fear.”

“Then what am I supposed to do? How do I fight Fear?”

“You don’t,” Duusu said. For a bird, she had the most expressive eyes Adrien had ever seen. Those deep, soul-searching eyes looked at him now, and he knew whatever she told him, he would believe it. “Only Hope can do that.”

“Hope… You mean—”

“Yes,” Nooroo said. “The one who created a bridge to this dimension to begin with; the only one who wields such power.”

Adrien paled. He recalled the last true akuma he had faced alongside Queen Bee, the one that had gotten away and never purified. “Ladybug.”

_Marinette._

* * *

 

Chloe knew something was wrong the moment she disembarked from the ride share in front of Fu’s house. It was like a bad smell in the air, something she couldn’t see but that she knew lurked here somewhere giving off toxic fumes. Luka and Marinette seemed to be at ease as they all went inside and greeted Fu, and Chloe was inclined to just let it go. 

“Everything okay, Honey Comb?” Pollen asked, hanging back with her on the threshold. 

Chloe narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t shake this weird feeling like…like someone was watching her maybe. Like those National Geographic documentaries that tracked the lion lying in wait in the bushes while the gazelle grazed, oblivious. There was no one around, though. 

“Just got a bad vibe all of a sudden,” Chloe said. 

Pollen frowned deeply. “Does it smell bad?”

“How did you know that?”

“I smell it, too. It’s cowardice. I can always smell that in humans. If you can smell it, it’s because you and I are closer.”

“Does it mean anything bad?”

Pollen looked uncharacteristically serious as she studied Chloe. “Not necessarily. But trust your instincts. We are Courage, Creation’s greatest soldier. If there’s trouble, we are the ones responsible for facing it first.”

“Well that’s ominous.” Chloe wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of playing vanguard. Weren’t they the ones who usually died first? 

She didn’t have time to dwell on it. Fu was trying to explain what he’d learned from some photos of a Miraculous Tome that Gallina had passed to him. 

“Gallina had pictures of the Miraculous Tome?” Marinette questioned, suspicious. 

“Yes, she has been very cooperative turning over recovered Miraculous and the pages of the Tome,” Fu explained. “I know she will be returning here soon, and I hope you will all welcome her. She has proven her good intentions and loyalty well enough for me.”

“Orikko’ssssss Chosen are always interessssssting,” said Sass.

“How’s that?” Luka asked. 

Sass’s golden eyes glittered like he’d hoped someone would ask. 

“They’re a mixed bag,” Tikki said politely. “Intuition is a double-edged sword. They can be incredible allies or, well, a bit difficult.”

“Murderers or martyrssssss.”

“Charming,” Chloe said. 

“I assure you, Gallina has every intention of helping. Adrien agrees with me.”

Sass wheezed with laughter. “Sssssspeaking of double-edged swords.”

“What does _that_ mean?” Marinette demanded. 

“Nothing.” Tikki shot Sass a warning look that silenced him. He slithered back around Luka’s neck. “Adrien possesses the most positive of Destruction’s traits. He is nothing but true.”

“ _So_ true!” Pollen chimed in brightly. 

“So _boring_ ,” Sass said under his breath. “Ah, for the days when Plagg Chose more…freely.”

“Anyway,” Chloe said, sensing Marinette’s unease, “I brought you some more Miraculous, Master Fu.”

She returned the Dragon, Dog, and Tiger Miraculous to Fu’s effusive gratitude, and he launched into an explanation of what he had discovered in his research. 

“So, you’re saying there’s a kwami for Fear, and he’s the one who’s been creating all the Haunted?” Luka said. “But I thought Hawk Moth was responsible for the akumatizations.”

“It’s not exactly a kwami so much as a force,” Fu explained. “Fear doesn’t Choose as other kwamis do.”

“He possesses,” Pollen spat. “No wonder I didn’t recognize him if he’s been using Nooroo to hide! Oooh that _jerk_!! Wait until I get my stinger in him!”

Tikki hugged Pollen. “I’ve never seen Fear operate this extensively alone…”

“Alone? Are you saying Fear has friends?” Marinette asked nervously.

“More like facesssssss,” Sass said. 

“You mean the Four Faces of Death?” Fu said. “I saw a reference to it, but there was very little information. I believed it was an allegory…”

“It’s not an allegory,” Tikki said glumly. “Fear, along with Hatred, Strife, and Anguish are the four stages of suffering, also known as the Four Faces of Death. They, well…”

“They’re garbage,” Pollen spat. 

Chloe made a face. “Ew.”

“They are wasssssste,” Sass said. “Unclean and cancerousssssss.”

“I remember when Anguish ran rampant during the fourteenth century. She infected millions of people,” Tikki said.

Fu looked aghast. “The Great Plague? That was a _kwami’s_ doing?”

Sass bared his fangs. “And Hatred showed his sssssinister face during the Inquisition.”

Tikki shook her head solemnly. “Tomás de Torquemada. Hatred killed so many people through him.”

“But it always starts with Fear,” Pollen said. “He’s the root of all trouble. When he runs wild, everything rots.”

“So Fear appears first, and then the others follow?” Marinette said. 

“Like a gateway drug,” Luka said. “Which means—”

“—the others may not be far behind,” Chloe finished. “Great. Just what I wanted to hear.”

Chloe’s phone buzzed then. It was a new text from Adrien.

[Adrien: Omw to Fu’s. Bringing my father. Explain later.]

“The hell?” Chloe muttered to herself as the others continued talking around her. 

[Chloe: ???]

[Chloe: Whatever just hurry. Fu figured out what we’re up against.]

[Adrien: So did I. It’s really bad.]

Chloe wasn’t sure what that meant, but she was distracted by the knock on the door just then.

Fu went to greet the newcomer. “Welcome back, Gallina. The others are already here. There’s a lot to discuss, and I’d like to get you up to speed quickly.”

“She’s here now?” Marinette said. “But if she sees us, she’ll know our identities!”

“Is that so bad?” Luka asked. “I thought Master Fu said we could trust her.”

“I don’t like the idea that she could know who we are before we know who she is.”

“Adrien will be here soon,” Chloe tried to assuage them. “For now, we should just—”

“What the hell is this?”

Everyone froze and stared at Fu in the foyer and none other than Lila Rossi next to him. For once, Chloe was speechless as she gaped, dumbstruck, at Lila…

…And at the bobble-headed rooster perched on her shoulder. 

“Hi,” Luka said, smiling politely. “I’m Luka. I’m guessing you’re Gallina?”

Lila stared, as dumbstruck as Chloe. Fu answered for her. 

“That’s right. This is Lila and Orikko. And Lila, this is Chloe and Marinette. I believe you three go to the same school?”

Chloe snapped out of it faster than Marinette, who had begun to tremble where she stood as she locked eyes with Lila. 

“Outside,” Chloe said with a venomous edge to her voice. “ _Now_.”

Lila tore her gaze from Marinette to look at Chloe. “You…”

_Goddamnit, A._

No wonder he’d implored Chloe not to let anyone meet Gallina before he arrived. 

“Yeah, me. March your ass outside now before I make you.” 

Pollen, bless her courageous heart, flew in front of Chloe and buzzed loudly. “That’s right, march!”

Orikko fluffed out his feathers. “Pollen, I see the years have only made you even more abrasive than I recall.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “What was that, chicken nugget?”

“Oh, _that’s_ original,” Lila said. 

“Everyone, please. This is no time to quarrel,” Fu said. 

“Master Fu, no offense, but stay out of this,” Chloe said. She pinched the bridge of her nose. When Adrien got here, she was going to kill him. “Outside, and don’t you dare make me say it again—”

“Lila Rossi.”

Everyone turned to Marinette. She was ramrod straight and trembling, her fists white-knuckled at her sides. Tikki buzzed nervously around her head like a gnat. 

Lila bared her teeth in a sneer. Chloe took one look at Luka, and he moved in between them. 

“Hey, Mar. You all right?” Luka laid a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t even look at him. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Lila spat. “Chloe I can kind of understand. Queen Bee’s such an arrogant jerk, so it’s not a stretch, but _you_?”

“Hey!” Pollen said. “My honey bee’s not a jerk, she’s a queen!”

“Those are not mutually exclusssssive,” Sass quipped. 

Luka shot him a reproachful look.

“This can’t be happening,” Marinette said. “How could someone so vile be Chosen?”

“I’ll ask you not to insult my Chosen in my presence,” Orikko said gravely. “You may be Creation’s Chosen, but that does not give you the right to lambaste your underlings.”

“Underling? I’m no one’s under- _anything_ ,” Lila said. 

“No, you’re not. And you’re definitely not worthy of a Miraculous. There’s obviously been some kind of mistake,” Marinette said.

“Whoa… Hey, I don’t think we should be fighting like this,” Luka said. He was ignored. 

“No, Marinette has a point,” Chloe said. “How the hell did _you_ wind up with a Miraculous?”

“I earned it,” Lila said. “What did you do for yours? Have your daddy pay for it?”

“Excuse you?!”

“That’s quite enough!” Fu raised his voice to be heard. 

Chloe got another strong whiff of that foul stench, acrid and eye-watering. Marinette passed her and advanced on Lila. 

“I can’t accept this. You can’t be Chosen. I won’t allow it.”

“ _Allow_ it? You don’t have a choice.” Lila smirked. “Besides, Adrien wants me on the team. Didn’t he tell you?”

“Adrien would _never_ go against my decision.”

“Newsflash, you pathetic loser. He already did a long time ago. Where do you think he was all morning?”

Marinette faltered, and Lila saw her opening. 

“That’s right, he was with _me_. We spent hours together training, talking, and other stuff. _You_ know.”

Very quickly, the vibe in the room changed from tense to downright hostile. Chloe nearly choked on the overwhelming stench of cowardice and fear, and she lunged at Marinette before Marinette could strike Lila. 

“Marinette!” 

“Get out of my way, Chloe.” There was a dark edge to Marinette’s tone that had not been there before, and it almost made Chloe lose her hold. 

There was a knock on the door then. “Master Fu, it’s me. Are you there?”

Fu looked visibly relieved to hear Adrien’s voice and quickly opened the door. “Adrien, thank goodness. Lila has arrived, and the others are not taking her presence as well as I had hoped—”

Adrien barged in, spotted the unmistakable hostility between Marinette and Lila, and immediately moved in between them. “What’s going on here? Chlo, I thought I asked you to wait for me.”

“Wha— _hello_ , maybe try showing up on time!” Chloe said. She then noticed the other person who had arrived with him. “Gabriel? What the hell?”

Tikki gasped. “Nooroo! Oh my goodness!”

“Nooroo?” Marinette said. “But isn’t that Hawk Moth’s…”

Several things happened over the next few seconds. One, Chloe and everyone else present realized that Adrien’s father was actually Hawk Moth. Two, _Adrien’s father was actually Hawk Moth_. And three, Chloe’s open hand had somehow found its way to Gabriel’s face before anyone could stop her. 

“Chloe!” Fu said, affronted. 

“You _trash_!” Chloe shouted up at Gabriel. “Are you kidding me? The _whole time_?”

Gabriel’s cheek burned bright red where Chloe had slapped him. He said nothing to defend or explain himself, and for once, neither did Adrien. 

“He deserved that,” Plagg said. 

“Yes, he did,” Tikki agreed.

“Hey, Mar,” Luka said, concerned.

Marinette had tears in her eyes as she looked between Lila, Adrien, and Gabriel. 

“Why?” she said to no one in particular.

“I can explain,” Adrien said. “Believe me, this isn’t what I wanted at all, but there’s a bigger threat out there right now that we have to focus on before—”

A loud crash echoed not so far away, and a collective hush fell upon the room. Fu, acting quickly, raced to the television and turned on the news. “Oh no…”

Every channel had suspended regular programming to report on the sudden outpouring of Haunted from the bowels of Paris. They had escaped their holding cells and now ran rampant in the streets turning others. Chloe forgot completely about Gabriel and watched in morbid fascination as a blackened Haunted doubled over, peeled like a banana, and rose anew as a bipedal creature black as night with beastly claws and fangs. It howled, were-like, and dashed off screen. 

“Shit,” Luka said. “This is worse than the hospital!”

Chloe bared her teeth. “I don’t understand. This can’t be happening. We have Hawk Moth right here.”

“This isn’t Hawk Moth,” said Nooroo sadly. “It’s Fear.”

“But how? Everything I discovered in my research indicated that Fear requires a host,” Fu said. 

“Not anymore. Duusu’s power exorcised it from me and gave it a vessel of its own. I was freed, but as a result Fear doesn’t need to possess another to move freely in this dimension,” Gabriel said. “It’s why I’ve come to help. Whatever our differences in the past, on this we stand united. Ladybug…Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette stared at Gabriel, her eyes bright with unshed tears. He hung his head and placed his hand over his heart. 

“I’m not asking for your forgiveness, or even for your understanding. I’m only asking that you let me help you. I can’t change what I’ve done, but perhaps I can spare others the gruesome fate that nearly cost me my life.”

Marinette shook her head like she could not believe what she was hearing, but she said nothing. On the television screen, more Haunted shed their rotting human suits and emerged as nightmarish creatures, solid yet shadowy, winged or clawed, all of them relentless. 

“We have to do something,” Luka said, tense. “Those things will kill anything that moves.”

“Those things are people,” Adrien said. “We can’t just kill them.”

“They’re not people anymore,” Lila said. “Just like those children last night. You can’t save them.”

Marinette snapped out of her trance and shoved Lila. “Don’t you _dare_. You don’t get to make that call.”

“Marinette!” Adrien blocked her and held her off by her shoulders. “This isn’t helping!”

“You’re defending her?!”

“I’m not defending anyone. We’re on the same side here!”

“The hell we are,” Lila said. “I could never work with such a petty, self-righteous asshole—”

“Me?! You’re a pathological liar and a terrible person! You’re the reason I was akumatized!”

“And you’re the reason _I_ was akumatized!” Lila shot back. “Or don’t you remember how Ladybug humiliated and ridiculed me in front of Adrien? How the hell are _you_ a hero?”

“Wait, what?” Chloe said. 

Marinette flushed. “That’s _not_ what happened.”

Lila sneered. “Now who’s the liar?”

Adrien tried to maneuver Marinette away from Lila. “Marinette, come on. This isn’t what’s important right now.”

“How can you say that? You of all people _know_ what a liar she is!”

“Marinette, please,” Fu said. 

“Yeah, Marinette, _please_ ,” Lila taunted. “Shouldn’t Ladybug be more concerned about the people literally dying in the streets?”

The stench of fear and cowardice was becoming unbearable now. Chloe had to cover her nose. 

Marinette squeezed her teary eyes shut. “I’ll show you Ladybug.”

“Marinette, I don’t think—” Tikki began. 

“Tikki, Spots on!” 

Chloe shielded her eyes from the blinding flash of crimson that accompanied Ladybug’s transformation. The next thing she knew, Ladybug had hauled Lila outside and pinned her to the ground with her super strength. 

* * *

 

“Ladybug, what are you doing?! She’s not even transformed!” Adrien said. He’d thrown himself at Ladybug recklessly and tackled her off Lila. They now faced off in Fu’s front yard.

“Why are you taking her side?!” Ladybug shouted. 

Lila coughed and pushed herself up off the ground. “Because you’ve completely lost your mind!”

“Lila, _shut the fuck up_ ,” Adrien said. To Ladybug he said, “My Lady, please, don’t do this—”

“You’re supposed to be _my_ partner!” Ladybug’s tears fell freely now.

“I _am_ your partner! I’m so much more than that!”

“Then why would you train her? Why would you defend her to me? _Why_ , Adrien?”

“Because she’s trying to help us! And because Master Fu asked me to! How many times do I have to tell you?”

Ladybug wanted to shake him. How could he not see what he was doing? That he was pushing her away in favor of _Lila Rossi_ , the liar who didn’t have a kind bone in her body and was always out for herself. 

“She’s turned over the Miraculous she recovered and the pages of the Miraculous Tome,” Adrien said, fighting to keep his voice calm. 

So what? She had to have some ulterior motive, surely. 

“She saved Kagami’s life and mine against the nightmare wolves,” Adrien went on. “She faced Fear’s true form when I couldn’t even see it at the risk of her life.”

_Then why didn’t she die?_

As soon as Ladybug had the thought, she imagined Lila broken and bent on the ground, crushed under the supernatural Cerberus’ paw. 

Why couldn’t she have just died?

“She’s here now to help us, too,” Adrien said, reaching for her. “I know you can see the value in that.”

But all Ladybug could see was Lila looming over her in the girl’s bathroom. 

_“You’re alienating your friends all on your own,”_ whispered the memory of Lila’s saccharine voice.

“Ladybug, you’re the kindest person I know. And I know you would always set aside your personal grievances for the greater good.”

Sweet laughter reached Ladybug’s ears, light as a feather yet rumbling and deep.

_“She’s even taken Adrien from you.”_

Ladybug clenched her teeth and glared through her tears at Lila, at Adrien. Was that true? Had she stolen Adrien away? 

By now, the others had gathered outside to watch. 

“Ladybug, are you—” Luka reached for her, but Sass yanked him back by his neck. 

“Sssssstay away from her!” he hissed in warning. 

Orikko fluffed up and hovered protectively before Lila. “Sunshine, we should transform, and quickly.”

“No, no one needs to transform!” Adrien bellowed. “We aren’t fighting!”

Lila had fallen quiet, those shifty eyes trained between Adrien, Ladybug, and Orikko. Plotting her next move, no doubt, the conniving bitch—

“You don’t deserve a Miraculous,” Ladybug spat, advancing. 

It was so obvious, couldn’t they see? No one was less worthy of this power than Lila! 

_“So take it from her. Take it like she threatened to take your friends.”_

“She’s taken everything from me,” Ladybug said, her voice cracking. 

The sounds of mayhem drifted ever closer as the Haunted continued their rampage through the city. 

“There isn’t time for this nonsense,” Gabriel said. “Fear could be anywhere. We must put a stop to it before it’s too late!”

“Chloe? What’s the matter?” Fu asked. 

Chloe covered her mouth and nose and stared in horror at Ladybug. “Her… It’s her.”

“Adrien, watch out!” Pollen screeched. 

Ladybug ignored them all and launched her yo-yo. Lila shrieked in fright and tried to shield herself.

_“That’s it, show her the true meaning of Fear!”_

But her yo-yo never hit its intended target. 

“Cataclysm!” Plagg flung himself at the yo-yo and the very air around him bled to black as reality opened wide and swallowed the yo-yo whole. 

Gravitational, the black hole Plagg summoned drew Ladybug in as though to devour her, too. 

“Plagg!” Adrien shouted. 

Ladybug’s vision tunneled to shadows. More than Lila, more than anything, this utter betrayal by Adrien dismantled her completely. She cried out in anger, in agony, in despair, and pulled back until the string on her yo-yo snapped and the tool disappeared into the Void. And just beyond, she could see Adrien and Lila, hazy together through the cold, dark gloom. 

It was the last sight she saw before an annoying buzz and a high-pitched shout of “Venom!” filled her ears. Pollen’s stinger pierced her neck, and she fell. Out of body, she felt herself hit the ground and keep going, deeper and downward, until Adrien, Chloe, and all the others receded into the pinprick of light so far above. 

Here, there was only darkness, only cold, only her. 

_“Oh_ Fortuna _, I told you before: you’re not alone.”_

Ladybug screamed. She screamed for her parents, for Adrien, for Chloe and Luka and Master Fu, for Tikki—

_“Fear lives within you.”_

No one came.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please believe me when I say it hurts me more than it hurts you to end it here for now. Next chapter will be extremely action-packed as our heroes are forced to divide and conquer against the ancient forces threatening Paris!
> 
> Next time: Viperion puts on a concert, Chat Noir and Gallina take a nap, Queen Bee and Hawk Moth swarm the city, and Master Fu gets a bodyguard.


End file.
